Divine Command Theory and God and Morality (Ethics Lecture)

A set of vocabulary flashcards addressing key terms and concepts from the lecture notes on Divine Command Theory, morality, and related debates.

Divine Command Theory

The view that the moral value of an action is determined by whether a divine being commands or forbids it; right if commanded, wrong if forbidden.

Moral Law Within

The innate sense of right and wrong in humans, argued by some to reflect a divine imprint on humanity.

Conscience

An inner sense used to know or feel what a divine command or moral obligation requires; often cited as evidence of divine guidance.

Sacred Texts

Religious scriptures (e.g., Torah, Bible, Quran) believed to reveal God’s commands and moral guidance.

Religious Authorities

Clergy or scholars who interpret sacred texts and teach what God commands.

Euthyphro Dilemma

The problem: are actions good because God commands them, or does God command them because they are good?

Arbitrariness Objection to DCT

The concern that if morality depends solely on God’s will, God could command anything, making morality seem arbitrary.

Category Mistake (in DCT)

Applying human moral concepts to God; God’s requirements are not human-like obligations.

Objective Moral Truths

Moral claims that are true independently of what anyone believes or feels.

God as Lawgiver

The view that God is the source of the moral law humans ought to follow.

Universal Objectivity of Morality

The claim that moral truths hold universally, grounded in the authority or nature of God.

Moral Autonomy from God (Conn)

Steven Conn’s view that morality can exist independently of belief in an all-powerful, all-knowing, all-good God.

Euthyphro Problem in Monotheism

A monotheistic version of the dilemma: is something good because God commands it, or does God command it because it is good?

Biblical Examples as Critiques of DCT

Scriptural cases where God commands or permits actions (e.g., sacrifice, conquest) that raise questions for Divine Command Theory.

What a Theory Does

Philosophical theories provide frameworks to analyze, critique, and understand moral questions, not simply deliver final verdicts.