Religious Studies - Philosophers and their Beliefs

J.S Mill

Natural law is outdated

Francis Bacon

Telos is unscientific

Sean Carroll

Telos can’t just be built into the universe

Polkinghorne

Science explains the ‘what’ and not the ‘why’

Max Tegmark

Scientists may eventually explain why the universe exists

Russel

There may be no ‘why’

Dawkins

Just because there is a question, doesn’t mean there is an answer

Ockham’s razor

If there is a simpler scientific approach, there is no reason to follow a more complex approach involving the supernatural

St Paul

The law of God is written on the heart of all humans

Karl Barth

Rejected natural law because of its reliance on human judgement

William Barclay

People are given a dangerous amount of freedom

J.A.T Robinson

Humanity has matured and ‘come of age’

Richard Mouw

No logical sense to reduce Christian ethics to one of Jesus’ commands

Pope Pius XII

Christ frequently spoke about the importance of following all of the commandments

Michael Stocker

Friend comes to visit in you in hospital out of duty rather than friendship

B. William

Kantian ethics is unnatural

Barbara Herman

Emotions lead to good outcomes by luck

Aristotle

We can develop good emotional and behavioural habits

Benjamin Constant

Murderer at door scenario, showing that saying the truth is situational not a duty

Singer

We have a reasonable expectation on consequences even if we can’t control them

Sartre

Two duties can clash (soldier fight in war and look after sick parents)

Thomas Carlyle

Fit only for swine as utilitarianism ignores virtue, intellect and creativity in search of pleasure

Kant

Can’t always calculate the consequences perfectly

Aristotle

Ethics that consider the situation are going to messy

Singer

Family and friends bring a lot of happiness, so it is okay to act partially in some cases (trolley problem)

Genesis

Wrong to kill humans as we are made in God's image

Peter Singer

Sanctity of life is an outdated Christian belief

Archbishop Fisher

If euthanasia allowed for quality of life, people would kill themselves to avoid being a burden

Nozich

Self-ownership of body