RS Philosophy (moral argument) Flashcards
“Two things fill the mind…?
Moral argument quote
With ever new interesting admiration and awe.. the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me”
Kants moral argument points to the probability that.,,?
God exists
Kant didn’t think it was possible for human..?
Intellect to prove the existence of God
Instead we turn to the moral law within us for guidance
Kant said there are universal..?
agreements that some actions are always wrong no matter time culture or circumstance
Actions like rape and murder are always wrong
Shows the existence of an objective moral law
How do we discover the right action?
By applying reason to find the objective moral law(innate sense of right and wrong) which gives us the categorical imperitive (whether it fits the 3 formulations
We can utilise reason (able to universal it)
The word ‘ought’ implies ‘can’- if we are told it is our duty to do something it should be possible
What is the essential part of finding the right action?
Duty ( duty to help others should be the only motive-goodwill)
Can’t be for any other reason than doing your duty
“Virtue can only be duty for dutys sake”
How do we reach the summum bonum
Although it is wrong to do a virtuous act to get a reward it is logical that virtuous acts get rewarded
Summum bonum ultimate happiness(higher good)
Rarely achieve in one lifetime
What is Kants three postulates of morality?
Moral freedom- action is only moral if someone has the free will to do goodwill
Immortality- virtuous acts in this world are always rewarded by happiness but may attract pain if perfect virtue results in perfect happiness it must be provided in the next world (summum bonum)
God- he is the logical connection between virtue and perfect happiness- happiness is an end everyone seeks- ina perfect world moral behaviour should lead to greatest happiness but some unvirtous acts lead to unhapiness therefore it is necessary to have the possibility of a heaven where they are all rewarded
The argument is ..?
A posteriori since it uses experiance ad empirical observations about the world
Uses inductive reasoning since it assumes god already exists so assumes he must be the only source is morality (rather than another great being)
Criticism: other sources of morality we get our conscience from?
Society Education Parents Friends Media
Criticism: psychological explanation ?
Sociological or psychological explanation might be more convincing since it anaylses the mind and why people are the way they are upbringing
These explanations are rooted in observable phenomens shared human experiences irrespective of human beliefs (applies to all)
Also if conscience is a result of psychological conditioning - it’s going to be different for everyone- if our moral conscience came from god it should be consistent -but it’s not
Eg the Yorkshire ripper hearing voices telling him to kill people(could argue still have a conscience from god but peoples childhood affects how they interpret it)
What is the sumum bonum?
Greatest happiness-world of virtuous happy people
Freud- structures of the psyche- Book- The Outline of Psychoanalysis
The ego: Part of our mind that is conscious ourselves -conscious self- conscience is guilt- children learn the world restricts these desires and this results int he ego
We are aware of it-our opinions what we think about things
The id: unconcious self-part which is not immediately obvious- repressed memories/ repressed wishes that we can’t admit to ourselves
The superego: driving moral force/ moral imperitive that comes from family/friends > internalise these imperatives ‘inner voice’/ disaporval of society that we keep during upbringing- this is where moral awareness comes from
For Freud the assumption that this inner morality comes from something supernatural is entirely illusionary - if it was GOd it would be consisten but its not e.g. Yorkshire ripper hearing commands to kill people- disagrees with Kant’s objectivity
It’s clearly other explanations- sense of duty was based on socialisation
Did Freud successfully demolish Kants moral argument? [6 points]
1) Freuds jnterpretation of early religion just highly fictional- no proof of totemism/carried away by enthusiasm for evolution
2) He was criticised for trying to build an argument based on his own views rather than with supporting evidence
- uses inductive reasoning assume there is NO objective God-hardly surprising he came to his conclusion
3) Freuds atheism is no more proved than theism
4) even if it can just be wishful thinking - no proof- humans desire for higher power does not prove or disprove it
5) belief in god can be mostly influenced by family/ childhood but not necessarily
6) that the super-ego comes from family/community and not god is not demonstrated/ proves
Why does Kant suggest there must be morality?
God is required for morality to achieve its end (summum bonum)
What did cardinal Newman say about the why morality meant the existence of God?
We feel ashame and frightened that transgresses the voice of conscience which implies there is One to whom we are responsible -must be a god
Criticism- ‘ought implies can’
If Kant meant it is logically possible for the summum bonum to exist it doesn’t mean it’s true just that it doesn’t contradict itself
Critiism -god having to supply the summum bonum?
Brian Davies said it could be bought about by a ‘pantheon of Angels’
Criticism- Euthyphro Dilema
Is something good because god commands it or does god demand something because it’s good?
Russel- if god does demand something because it’s good (2nd option)> God is not necessary or an ethical system to work
What seems illogical to Kant?
it would be illogical to seek an impossible end
god’s existance is morally necessary
we have to act like we live in a moral world even if i doesn’t appear so
Kant’s book contianing the moral argument is?
Groundowork of the Metaphysics of Morals
Strenghts of the moral argument?
appealing to think we all share in this innate moral sense
If you belive in a moral law you bleibve in a realtiy- closer to beliving in God
Weaknesses of the moral argument?
Freud’s social conditioning/structure of society
Strengths your belief if you belive in GOd (linked to moralioty) but not if you don’t belive in him
Swinburne- arhues that moral principles are analytic- they are tue by defintiion
moral law isn’t objective
cultral relativism- differnt ime/ culture the society is in (eg. whether polygamy is orally accpetable)/emotivism- moraity is an expression of someon’e feelings/ evoltion-moralioty evolves- not consistent
only points at a lawmaker- not at Go (inductive leap)
Mill objected to God’s existance on……. but there s evidance in St Paul’s letter to the Romans?
moral grounds
‘invisible nature from Giod that we get through conscience
