Evaluating Divine Command Theory Flashcards
The Euthyrphro Dilemma
-biggest objection to DCT
-‘is x good because its commanded by god or does god command x because its good?’
-two horns of the dilemma
Horn 1
- ’ is x good because it is commanded by God?’
-God as revealed in scripture, seems to command all sorts of immoral actions
-Can God be good if God commands murder e.g Abraham and Isaac
Job
‘the lord giveth and the lord taketh away”
god took away his riches
Horn 2
‘does God command x because its good’
-goodness separate from God, questioning Gods omnibenevolence/omnipotence/omniscient
If you accept first horn…
-god loses moral goodness
-immoral commands
-in bible god commands slaughter of innocent children
-assuming that command applies to all people at all times
if you accept the second horn?
-god loses omnipotence
-god recognises that there’s a moral law external to himself and he has to obey it
-gos subject to moral law
Solutions to Euthyphro
1.William of Ockham - “bite the bullet” adopting horn 1. God is God, just obey whatever he says.
2.Gods nature=Gods character - god and goodness are identical so gods moral commands must be good.
3.Parts of the Bible are corrupt - text of those bits of Bible is corrupt and doesn’t mean what it says.
Strengths
-DCT grounds religious peoples moral behaviour in teachings of factually existing God.
-rules universal and are right for all times and places. avoids problem of trying to sort out different moral ideas in diff countries in diff times.
-god doesn’t have any of the weaknesses of human judges. he’s omniscient and omnipresent and totally aware of peoples good and bad deeds.
-gods moral command is promise of LAD
Weaknesses of DCT
-many diff religions with diff gods
-contradictions in scripture
-bible has immoral commands
-SE better
-no evidence of the existence of god
