DCT strengths + Weaknesses

Question 1

Platos euthyphro dilemma
Quote

Answer 1

“Is conduct right because the Gods command it, or do the Gods command it because it is right?”

Question 2

Euthyphro dilemma
WEAKNESS

Answer 2

• God commands something because it is morally right

DCT hates this as this means that morality is above God, God is not omnipotent

-something is morally right because it is commanded by God

If this is true, God could command anything even genocide and it would be morally right. Morality id based on Gods whims. This is known as the arbitrariness problem

Question 3

The Bible contains outdated/ immoral commands
Weaknesses

Answer 3

-Old and new testaments are sometimes inconsistent
“ do not kill an eye for an eye”

-Slavery Paul writes that slaves should be “submissive to their masters” appearing to condone slavery

-homosexuality “if a man lies with a male as with a woman…they shall be put to death”- Leviticus

Question 4

Bible example of contradiction

Answer 4

-Abraham and Isaac
“Do not kill” but he was commanded to kill his son
-is a God of such contradiction worth worship
-does dct define good as infanticide

Question 5

DCT depends on the belief in a monotheistic God who is the source of all morality

WEAKNESS

Answer 5

-many people today do not believe in a God, so they would believe DCT provides a unsatisfactory approach to ethics and moral decision making.

It’s completely irrelevant to them

Scripture was written by men who were shaped by their social contexts- we cannot just believe that the commands in the Bible are still relevant/ right for us today.

Question 6

How can we be sure that scripture reveals Gods will accurately?
WEAKNESS

Answer 6

-Bible has been translated many times how do we know its correct

-the Bible was written by fallible humans how do we know that everything is correct

-they have human authors and so must be subject to human criticism, review and scrutiny

Question 7

Emotivists
WEAKNESS

Answer 7

Emotivists believe that morality is a matter of personal feeling/opinion- there are no absolute moral truths to be discovered. In the realm of moral judgments, everything is a matter of subjective personal opinion. There is no God making moral rules, just people expressing preference

-links to a.j ayer- verification principle if a statement isnt analytic or synthetic it is meaningless as you cannot prove it exists

Question 8

Clear objective and unchanging moral principles
STRENGTH

Answer 8

-DCT provides an objective moral standard

-The ethical rules are made by God not humanity, and so cannot be subjective to change.
- This provides consistency and objectivity-
there is ‘one law eternal’ that is created by the eternal and omnipotent God

-DCT is clear about how we should conduct ourselves
E.g- 10 commandments this gives people certainty about morality

Question 9

DCT is consistent with ethical monotheism
STRENGTH

Answer 9

-the belief in one God who is the source of morality
Followed in may religions such as christianity, islam and judaism

Question 10

DCT reward for following God
Strength

Answer 10

-life after death