Morality and Religion

Question 1

Objections of philosophical ethics
(2)

Answer 1

1. The divine command theory
   – if there is no God, then nothing is right or wrong
   – because God is the Creator of Moralit
2. Ethical fideism
   -even if God is not the « Creator » of Morality, he is like the only « thermometer » who indicates infallibly what is right and wrong
   – so we need his revelation to know what is right and wrong

Question 2

objections against doing philosophical ethics

Divine Command Theory

Answer 2

(1) God’s commandments are the « source » of Morality

(2) if God’s commandments are the « source » of Morality, then the only way to know what is right or wrong is to ask Him
– therefore–
(C) the true principles of ethics can only come from revelation by God (Religion), not from the use of our own reason (Philosophy)

Question 3

Is God really the « source » of morality?
What do most religious philosophers or theologians (Christian tradition) say about this?

Answer 3

It is rejected by most religious philosohpers or theologians

Question 4

Euthyphro dilemma:

Socrates’ dilemma against Euthyphro

Answer 4

(i) God commands us to do some actions (e.g. loving one’sparents) because they are morally right
(ii) actions are morally right because God commands them

they can’t both be true = circular

Question 5

The Euthyphro dilemma objections (2)

Answer 5

(1) God’s decisions are not arbitrary
-that would be an imperfection–

(2) it’s inconceivable that rape, murder, torture, adultery, etc. « could » just as well have been morally right (if God had decided so)
-it’s necessarily in the nature of murder / rape, etc. that they are wrong, it’s not contingent on anyone’s decision

Question 6

Objection 2: Ethical fideism

Answer 6

(1) God alone is omniscient and infallible
(2) our reason is limited and fallible
-therefore-
(C) the true principles of ethics can only be known form revelation by God (Religion), not form use of our reason (philosophy)

Question 7

Fideism definition

Answer 7

The thesis according to which all knowledge comes from faith alone

Question 8

Ethical fideism (definition)

Answer 8

The thesis to which ethical knowledge comes from faith alone

Question 9

Ethical fideism

Shafer-Landau objection against modest thesis

Answer 9

(strong thesis) religion is the only possible source of moral guidance (excluding reason) = ethical fideism

(modest thesis) religion can be one source of moral guidance (in addition to reason)
- objection: that would require being justified in accepting a particular religion (and this religion providing clear moral advice)

Question 10

Ethical fideism

(1) God alone is omniscient and infallible
(2) our reason is limited and fallible
therefore
Objection: __

Answer 10

Even if God is the only one who has infallible ethical knowledge, He might have decidedto give us a sufficiently reliable and natural capacity to know what is right or wrong

Question 11

Ethical fideism

(C) the true principles of ethics can only come fromrevelation by God
Objections:
a) __
b) __
c) __

Answer 11

a) it seems that there are moral universals that all human beings, with or without religion, have always known (murderis wrong, honouring one’s parents is good)

b) unacceptable consequence: if true, it would be impossible to discuss moral matters and try to find truth between people of different religions

c) unacceptable consequence: if true, people with other religions (or no religion at all) would be innocent of any crime, because they couldn’t know that what they’re doing is wrong

Question 12

Why can we study Ethics with the use of our Reason (philosophy)?

Answer 12

1. Even if there is a God, He hasn’t “arbitrarily decided” what is right or wrong (there are reasons for what is right and wrong)
2. Even if infallible knowledge comes only from Revelation, still God may have given us, in our nature, a sufficiently reliable Reason or Consciousness to know what is right or wrong