Cultural Moral Relativism, Euthyphro, and Divine Command Theory

Flashcards covering key concepts from the lecture on Cultural Moral Relativism, Euthyphro, and Divine Command Theory, including definitions and major arguments.

Piety (Euthyphro's 2nd attempt)

What is dear to the gods; impiety is what is not dear to the gods.

Moral Relativism (MR)

The view that morality is not objective but determined by people's attitudes (beliefs, feelings, etc.).

Cultural Moral Relativism (CMR)

The view that right and wrong are determined by one's culture or society.

Killer Objection to CMR

The criticism that CMR makes societies infallible, provides no ground for criticizing other cultures or one's own, and denies the possibility of moral progress.

Euthyphro's 3rd attempt at Piety

What all the gods love; impiety is what all the gods hate.

Socrates' Euthyphro Question (Dilemma)

Is the pious loved by the gods because it is pious, or is it pious because it is loved by the gods?

Divine Command Theory (DCT)

The view that morality is determined by God's will; an action is good/right/just/pious if commanded by God, and bad/wrong if prohibited by God.

Socratic Question for DCT

Is conduct commanded by God because it is right, or is it right because it is commanded by God?

Implication of 'right because commanded by God' (for DCT)

Makes morality arbitrary and makes the goodness of God meaningless.

Implication of 'commanded by God because it is right' (for DCT)

Removes arbitrariness but makes morality independent of God's will, thus rendering Divine Command Theory false.