Theme 1A - DCT

Question 1

What is divine command theory also known as?

Answer 1

Theological voluntarism

Question 2

What do those who accept divine command ethics look to, to provide moral standards?

Answer 2

sacred texts

Question 3

What type of theory is DCT?

Answer 3

• Deontological
• Absolutist
• Meta - ethical
• Normative
• Objective

Question 4

What does deontological mean?

Answer 4

Humans have a duty to act on God’s law regardless of consequences

Question 5

What does absolutist mean?

Answer 5

A theory that provides a standard of right and wrong that is binding on all humans

Question 6

What does meta - ethical mean?

Answer 6

Concerned with the meaning of ethical terms, nature of ethical statements and the foundations of moral principles

Question 7

What does normative mean?

Answer 7

The study of moral rules of right and wrong that underline specific ethical thoughts

Question 8

What does objective mean?

Answer 8

independent of personal feelings or view

Question 9

What is DCT?

Answer 9

• God as the origin and regulator of morality
• Right and wrong as objective truths based on God’s will
• Moral goodness is achieved by following divine law
• Divine command as a requirement of God’s omnipotence
• Divine command as the objective metaphysical foundation for morality

Question 10

What does it mean that God is the origin and regulator of morality in DCT?

Answer 10

• Morality is determined by God
• The commands are normally found in the sacred texts
• God checks human behaviour

Question 11

What does it mean that right and wrong are objective truths based on God’s will in DCT?

Answer 11

• Morality is not influenced by personal choices
• Humans have no authority, only God

Question 12

What does it mean that moral goodness is achieved by following divine command?

Answer 12

• The only way to be morally good is to follows Gods command
• Punishment for those who don’t follow (Hell) and reward for those that follow (Heaven)

Question 13

What does it mean that divine command is a requirement of God’s omnipotence?

Answer 13

• DCT is a natural consequence of God’s omnipotence
• God has power over everything - otherwise something else would be more powerful

Question 14

What does it mean that divine command is the objective metaphysical foundation for morality?

Answer 14

Objective: moral facts
metaphysical: What lies beyond the physical world, not testable

Question 15

What are the two forms of DCT?

Answer 15

Weak and strong form

Question 16

What is the weak form of DCT?

Answer 16

God has provided boundaries and guidance to help humans with decision making

Question 17

What is the strong form of DCT?

Answer 17

God has rules, that must be followed to be morally good

Question 18

What is an example of a divine command?

Answer 18

Ten Commandments

Question 19

What is the quote by Frankena to use for DCT?

Answer 19

“The standard of right and wrong is the will or law of God:

Question 20

What is the quote by William of Ockham to use for DCT?

Answer 20

‘With him a thing becomes right solely because he wants it so”

Question 21

What is the quote by Grayling to use for DCT?

Answer 21

“Sin is disobedience to the commands of God, virtue is obedience”

Question 22

What are the three challenges to DCT?

Answer 22

• Euthyphro dillema
• Arbitrariness problem
• Pluralism objection

Question 23

Who developed the euthyphro dilemma?

Answer 23

• One of Plato’s first works
• It was socrates dilemma

Question 24

How many horns are there in the euthyphro dillema?

Answer 24

2

Question 25

What is the first horn of the euthyphro dilemma?

Answer 25

• Morality dependant on the God’s
• The God’s decide what’s right and wrong
• He could change what’s morally right and wrong so they could make an act moral which humans deem wicked

Question 26

What is horn 2 of the euthyphro dilemma?

Answer 26

• Morality is independent of God’s
• If morality is independent of God’s then the God’s are not omnipotent and can be judged.
• If the God’s are not omnipotent then it throws into the question the 10 fundamental characteristics of God

Question 27

What is the arbitrariness problem as a challenge to DCT?

Answer 27

• Arbitrary: based on random chance or whim, rather than any reason or system
• If morality is based solely on God’s commands it is not an adequate basis for what is right and wrong
• E.g. God told Abraham to kill his son Isaic, which goes against God’s teachings. This shows that God was allowing murder, which could show he randomly changed his mind on what’s moral, which makes DCT invalid

Question 28

What is the pluralism objection as a challenge to DCT?

Answer 28

• Religious pluralism is that there is many religions in society
• Different religions have different beliefs
• Islam have dietary restrictions whereas christianity don’t
• Disagreements in Christianity wether to allow same sex marriage
• This shows there cannot be an absolute set of rules as every religion has different rules, so there is no one set of rules to follow

Question 29

How did Robert Adams modify the DCT?

Answer 29

• God is all loving - based on the assumption that God loves humanity. So evil deeds can never be good as if you follow a all loving God, the God can’t do evil
  -Any action is wrong if it goes against the commands of a loving God
• Adams solved horn 1 of the euthyphro dilemma: morality is based on God’s unchanging benevolence so God cannot command cruelty. Morality is based on Gods command and benevolence
• Adams solved horn 2 because God is the source of morality as morality originates from the character of God. Moral law is a feature of God’s nature