Divine Command Theory Flashcards
Divine Command Theory
euthyphro dilemma
Euthyphro brings his own father to trial on a questionable murder charge; Socrates thinks that’s unreligious, begins to question what is “good”
Divine Command Theory
divine index thesis
God loves x because it’s good by itself; God enforces law & suggest morality
Divine Command Theory
moral grounds thesis
X is morally right because God commands it; God is law & creates morality
Divine Command Theory
weaknesses of divine index thesis
- we know what is moral, but not why
- requires identifying commands & understanding its meaning
Divine Command Theory
strengths of divine index thesis
- beneficial for us; God is smarter
- God knows what’s right, lets us figure it out ourselves
Divine Command Theory
weaknesses of moral grounds thesis
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Divine Command Theory
euthyphro dilemma
Euthyphro brings his own father to trial on a questionable murder charge; Socrates thinks it’s unreligious, begins to question what is “good”
Divine Command Theory
Moral Grounds thesis
X is morally right because God commands it
God is the law & creates morality
Divine Command Theory
strengths of Moral Ground thesis
- answers big moral questions
- solves grounding problem (universal moral principles apply to all 24/7)
Divine Command Theory
weaknesses of Moral Grounds thesis
- Can we speak of God & goodness?
- Can God erase & rewrite good & evil?
- many theologians think it’s an inadequate explanation of morality
Divine Command Theory
Divine Index thesis
God loves X because it’s good by itself
God enforces the law & suggests morality
Divine Command Theory
strengths of Moral Index thesis
- moral law/standard exists independently of God
- God cannot overturn the laws of logic
- justifiable without God
Divine Command Theory
weaknesses of Divine Index thesis
- we know what is moral, but not why
- requires identifying the commands & understanding its meaning
Divine Command Theory
false dilemma
when a question isn’t bound to a select few answers
Socrate’s question of goodness isn’t bound to MG or DI