Divine Command Theory

Question 1

Divine command theory

Answer 1

View that morality is defining by God’s commands, revealed through scripture and the church
Non- naturalism - God not from natural world and doesn’t seek to define good
Deontological and cognitive

A right moral action is anything that God commands and an immoral action is anything God forbids

Religious legalism: believer arg. Every law contained in scripture is completely right and must be followed, religious liberals reject legalism and arg. Many religious laws are outdated

(AO2: Jesus broke laws to do most loving thing and should e follow everything God says e.g. ISIS, MAnchester Arena bombing etc. due to religion)

Richard Dawkins: we would be better w/out religion and find ethical values in secular world, religion can cause immorality - God of OT is ‘unjust, unforgiving, control freak’ and ‘most unpleasant character in whole of fiction’

Question 2

Protestant divine command theory

Answer 2

10 commandments,are clear examples of ethical values from God we should follow , should follow them precisely as they’re form omniscient, law giving, judgeful God

Focus on revelation of scripture, all is revealed in good book but Catholicism, accept scripture and teachings from Magesterium e.g. Pope

John Calvin- uses DCT to justify view of predestination (God has ordained all that will happen)
God cannot be caused todo anything, this would imply there’s a force above God, to challenge God’s will is to ask for something greater than DCT

Karl Barth- ‘mans obedience to God is the answer to all questions about ethics’ not concerned with working out what good is , God’s commands set Christian ethics apart from general discussions about what’s good and over ride human fallible debate

Question 3

Evaluation

Answer 3

WEAKNESSES:

Euthypro dilemma:
Horn one ‘is x good because its commanded by God’ Horn two ‘…or does God command it because its good?’

1. God in scripture seems to command immoral actions, how can god be good if commands murder e.g. Abraham and Isaac, loses moral goodness and idea that whatever God commands must be good by def. And we aren’t in position to challenge it fro own exp or reason, immoral commands go against most fundamental values in secular ethics
2. Goodness is separate from God- Q omnipotence, omnibenevolence and omniscience not worthy of good, believes God is subject to external laws

SO DCT MUST BE WRONG AS TAKING EITHER OPTION MAKES MORALITY NO LONGER RELY ON GOD

No empirical evidence of God
Scriptures are ancient and can be hard to interpret, outdated and doesn’t fit with modern times
Free will is taken away

STRENGTHS:
Link to promise of life after death for those who are moral, end goal to life
Clear and straightforward
Rules are universal ad right for all times, places and people
Better society