Divine Command Theory Flashcards
What is DCT?
God is the origin and regulator of morality.
What is classical theism?
Belief in an omnigod.
What does DCT say about determining morality?
God’s command is the only reason why an action is moral/immoral.
The Ten Commandments are:
Objective, a priori– without experience and intrinsically right.
Who presented the Euthyphro Dilemma?
Plato and Socrates
What is the Euthyphro Dilemma?
Is something good because God says it is good, or does God say it is good because it is good?
Why is DCT criticised? (Abraham?)
Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice son shows DIVINE command is ONLY GOOD – but is it a benevolent act?
What does arbitrary mean?
Randomness
What is the arbitrariness problem?
If God decides what is good because he says it is good, then morality depends purely on God’s whims (Old Testament)
Who came up with Modified Divine Command Theory?
Robert Adam
What does Modified DCT focus on?
God’s omnibenevolence, not his omnipotence
Why does Modified DCT hold up against the Arbitrariness Problem?
God will not do immoral or cruel things because he would not harm us without reason
What is pluralism?
The existence of multiple, contradictory religions
What are the challenges of pluralism?
Existence of different religious moral codes (i.e ahimsa vs holy war) damages the idea of a ‘divine command’
What are some weaknesses to DCT?
- Euthyphro problem
- Pluralism
- Society is increasingly secular
- Scripture doesn’t address modern issues
