Religion and Morality: Theoretical Foundations and Divine Command Theory

What is the central question regarding morality and religion?

Should morality be based on religion?

What are the intended learning outcomes of the discussion on morality and religion?

Understand the roles of God in morality, evaluate Divine Command Theory, explain morality's fit with theism vs. naturalism, assess God's authority, and justify moral knowledge's dependence on God.

What is the dependence view in the context of morality and religion?

The belief that morality and religion are necessarily interconnected, implying one cannot exist without the other.

What counter-example challenges the dependence view of morality and religion?

Polytheistic religions of ancient Greeks and Romans, which explain natural phenomena rather than prescribe moral behaviors.

What is the significance of asking 'what religion are we talking about?' in the morality-religion debate?

It highlights the need to clarify which religious framework is being considered in relation to morality.

What does philosopher Robert Audi suggest about the relationship between morality and religion?

He notes that historically inseparable concepts may still be logically independent.

What is the deeper question regarding morality and God?

Can we have morality without God?

What are the three roles that God is thought to play in morality?

Epistemological role, metaphysical role, and motivational role.

What is the epistemological role of God in morality?

God provides the way to know what is right and wrong.

What is the metaphysical role of God in morality?

God grounds the objectivity of morality in His commands and/or nature.

What is the motivational role of God in morality?

God provides the incentive to be moral, often through the promise of rewards and punishments.

What is Divine Command Theory (DCT)?

The theory that what is objectively good is what God commands as good, and what is bad is what God forbids.

What implication does DCT have regarding the existence of God and morality?

If God does not exist, morality would collapse into mere opinion or cultural preference.

What is the Euthyphro Dilemma?

The question of whether something is good because God commands it, or if God commands it because it is good.

What is the first horn of the Euthyphro Dilemma?

If things are good because God commands them, then morality seems arbitrary.

What is the second horn of the Euthyphro Dilemma?

If God commands things because they are already good, then morality exists independently of God.

What is Divine Independence Theory?

The view that morality exists independently of God, which challenges God's sovereignty over moral truth.

How do theists respond to the Euthyphro Dilemma?

They strive to maintain God's sovereignty while ensuring that morality is not arbitrary or independent.

What was Thomas Aquinas' response to the Euthyphro Dilemma?

He argued that morality is grounded in God's nature, which is perfectly good, rational, and loving.

How does Aquinas' view resolve the Euthyphro Dilemma?

Goodness is identical with God's nature, making commands expressions of His essence rather than arbitrary decrees.

What is the significance of God's commands according to Aquinas?

They are not random but reflect God's unchanging nature, thus providing a rational basis for morality.

What role does the concept of rewards and punishments play in the motivational role of God?

They provide a prudential motivation for morality, encouraging adherence to moral behavior.

What is the relationship between moral knowledge and God according to the arguments presented?

Moral knowledge can only be possible with God, as He provides the foundation for objective morality.

What is the appeal of Divine Command Theory for believers?

It offers a strong intuitive appeal that aligns moral law with divine command, such as the Ten Commandments.

What is a potential problem with accepting all implications of Divine Command Theory?

It may lead to the conclusion that morality is arbitrary if it solely depends on God's will.

What does the discussion suggest about the nature of morality in relation to different religions?

Not all religions prescribe moral rules, indicating that morality may not be inherently tied to religion.

What is the Modified Divine Command Theory?

It is the view that commands are the way God communicates His nature to human beings.

Who is Richard Swinburne?

A modern philosopher of religion who argues that morality reflects God's wisdom and rationality.

What does Swinburne argue about moral truths?

He argues that certain moral truths, like 'It is wrong to cause unnecessary suffering,' are necessary and cannot be made false by God.

What is the Identity Thesis in moral philosophy?

It posits that goodness is identical with God Himself, meaning morality flows from God's essence.

What is Robert Merrihew Adams' contribution to Divine Command Theory?

He argues that moral obligations are grounded in the commands of a loving God, making them non-arbitrary.

What is the Problem of Arbitrariness in Divine Command Theory?

It questions how moral laws can be meaningful if they depend solely on God's arbitrary commands.

How does the Chess Analogy illustrate the Problem of Arbitrariness?

It compares a coin toss to determine a winner to arbitrary divine commands, suggesting a lack of fairness in morality.

What is the implication of morality being solely determined by God's will?

It implies that morality lacks a solid grounding and is followed only out of fear or obedience.

What is the Problem of Moral Abhorrence?

It suggests that if morality is defined by God's commands, then universally condemned actions could be deemed good if commanded by God.

What does the Problem of Emptiness argue?

It states that if 'good' means 'what God commands,' then saying 'God is good' becomes meaningless.

What is the Problem of Equivocation in Divine Command Theory?

It occurs when 'good' is defined differently in the context of God's commands versus ordinary moral understanding.

What is the Problem of Divine Incomprehensibility?

It questions how a nonspatial and nontemporal God can issue commands, as commands are inherently human actions.

What is the Problem of Divine Hermeneutics?

It highlights the disagreement among religious traditions on the interpretation of God's commandments.

How do defenders of Divine Command Theory respond to the Problem of Arbitrariness?

They argue that God's commands are grounded in His nature, which is perfectly just, good, and loving.

What does Swinburne believe about morality without God?

He believes that morality may exist in principle without God, but God provides clarity, universality, and motivational power.

What is the significance of the Euthyphro Dilemma?

It presents a false dichotomy between morality being independent of God or arbitrary, suggesting a third option where morality is identical with God.

What does the term 'divine fiat' refer to?

It refers to the idea that morality could be subject to arbitrary divine decree, undermining its stability.

What is the role of revelation in Swinburne's view of morality?

God clarifies and reinforces necessary moral truths through revelation and divine law.

What is the implication of God's essence being goodness?

If God's essence is goodness, then His commands naturally flow from who He is, avoiding the Euthyphro Dilemma.

What does the term 'moral obligation' mean in the context of Divine Command Theory?

It refers to the duties we have that are grounded in God's commands, which are seen as non-arbitrary due to God's nature.

How does the Problem of Divine Hermeneutics challenge Divine Command Theory?

It shows that differing interpretations of God's commands undermine the stability that Divine Command Theory claims to provide.

What is the relationship between God's commands and moral intuition according to critics of Divine Command Theory?

Critics argue that believers rely on human moral intuitions to evaluate God's character, indicating a lack of true commitment to Divine Command Theory.

What is the nature of God according to Christian philosophy?

God is the ultimate standard of goodness, perfectly just, good, and loving.

How does God's will relate to His moral nature?

God's will, knowledge, and moral nature are perfectly unified, with no conflict.

What argument is made against the idea that God could command atrocities?

It is argued that such commands would contradict God's nature, making them logically impossible.

What is the problem of emptiness in relation to God's goodness?

Saying 'God is good' is meaningful because goodness has real content in God's nature, not merely what He commands.

What does the problem of equivocation address?

It addresses the concern that believers may shift meanings of goodness, but they consistently define it as what flows from God's nature.

How does divine incomprehensibility challenge the concept of God issuing commands?

It raises questions about how an eternal, nonspatial, nontemporal God can communicate, but theists argue God can reveal Himself in understandable ways.

What is the significance of the incarnation in relation to divine revelation?

The incarnation of Jesus Christ demonstrates that God can reveal Himself in ways humans can understand.

What factors determine the reliability of an interpretation of God's commands?

Internal consistency, historical accuracy, and coherence with God's character.

What challenge do both theists and atheists face regarding morality?

Both must answer what makes something right or wrong, whether through consequences, the act itself, or the agent's character.

What is the metaphysical basis for morality according to Divine Command Theory?

God provides a secure foundation for morality, establishing objective moral values, duties, and accountability.

What are objective moral values?

Moral truths that exist independently of human opinion, such as the wrongness of rape or genocide.

How do theists respond to the secular view of morality as a human invention?

They argue that objective moral values must be grounded in something beyond human subjectivity, namely God's nature.

What are objective moral duties?

Obligations about what we ought to do, regardless of personal preference or convenience.

How do human moral duties differ from animal behavior?

Humans recognize moral obligations that go beyond survival instincts, unlike animals which act on instinct.

What is the argument from human rights in the context of morality?

Human rights are grounded in the belief that every person is made in the image of God, bestowing inherent dignity.

What is the argument from overriding normativity?

Moral duties are unique because they override other considerations like self-interest or cultural norms.

What bestows inherent dignity on every person?

The belief that every person has inherent dignity, regardless of capacity.

What is the secular problem regarding moral accountability?

In a godless universe, there is no ultimate accountability, making morality seem like a matter of 'not getting caught.'

What is the Russellian World view?

The universe is purposeless and destined for extinction, leading to questions about the consistency of moral duties.

How does Christianity address moral accountability?

Every act will be judged by God, ensuring that no evil goes unpunished and no act of heroism goes unnoticed.

What is cosmic justice in theistic belief?

God provides ultimate justice, deterring evil and rewarding the righteous.

What is the role of conscience in moral intuition according to classical theism?

Conscience is seen as God's voice within humans, reflecting divine law.

What challenge does Kai Nielsen present regarding divine commands?

Nielsen questions how we can know that commandments are genuinely from God and not from a powerful but wicked being.

What does the term 'moral grounding' refer to?

Moral grounding refers to the metaphysical basis for why moral facts exist objectively.

How do atheists and agnostics understand morality?

They can recognize moral truths through reason, conscience, and experience, independent of belief in God.

What is the Evolutionary Debunking Argument (EDA)?

The EDA suggests that our moral beliefs evolved for survival, not because they are objectively true.

What analogy is used to explain theism's view on moral faculties?

The analogy of two compasses: one designed by a skilled maker (theistic view) versus one made by accident (naturalistic view).

What is the significance of God's goodness in moral philosophy?

If God were not perfectly good, His commands would lose moral authority.

What is the distinction between moral knowledge and moral grounding?

Moral knowledge refers to how we come to know right from wrong, while moral grounding explains why moral facts exist.

What does the term 'divine command theory' (DCT) assert?

DCT claims that only God provides the ultimate foundation for moral facts.

How does theism contrast with naturalism regarding moral knowledge?

Theism posits that humans are designed to seek truth, while naturalism suggests moral beliefs are adaptive illusions.

What is the implication of the statement 'Without God, everything is permitted'?

It suggests that without a divine moral authority, there are no objective moral standards.

What is the problem of false prophets in moral philosophy?

It questions the legitimacy of commands from beings claiming divine authority without independent ethical standards.

How does the theistic view justify moral intuitions?

Moral intuitions are seen as reflections of God's law, even if individuals do not acknowledge God.

What does Romans 2:14-15 say about conscience?

It suggests that conscience is the law written on human hearts, reflecting divine law.

What is the challenge of nonbelievers in the context of morality?

It questions whether nonbelievers can be moral if God is the basis of morality.

What is the significance of moral duties being ultimately duties to God?

It emphasizes that moral obligations to others are rooted in our duty to God.

What does the term 'positive accountability' refer to?

It refers to the belief that the righteous will be rewarded in addition to the wicked being punished.

What is the implication of moral duties being unique?

Moral duties are seen as overriding other considerations, indicating their special status.

How does the theistic perspective view sacrifices that seem foolish?

Such sacrifices are honored in God's eternal perspective, contrasting with a secular worldview.