the divine command theory
- Created by: EmilySh02
- Created on: 07-02-19 09:20
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- divine command theory
- Plato wrote a dialogue called Euthyphro, in which Euthyphro is taking his father to court, charging him with murder
- his father failed in care and attention and allowed a worker to die.
- Socrates, a philosopher, is at the court awaiting his own trial, and so he engages Euthyphro in dialogue about moral goodness.
- in the dialogue Socrates poses the question that has become known as the Euthyphro dilemma
- 'is the holy approved by the gods because it's holy, or is it holy because it is approved?'
- in other words, Socrates is asking whether god commands things because they are good in themselves, or are they good because god commands and approves them?
- basically, does good exist independently, and separate from approval, or does good exist as a consequence of it being approved?
- in other words, Socrates is asking whether god commands things because they are good in themselves, or are they good because god commands and approves them?
- 'is the holy approved by the gods because it's holy, or is it holy because it is approved?'
- in the dialogue Socrates poses the question that has become known as the Euthyphro dilemma
- divine command theory proposes that god has established eternal, objective principles of morality
- if god were to command things because they are good, then this implies that there is a standard of goodness independent of god.
- this would mean that god is no longer the creator of everything
- there would be a standard of values outside of his control and creativity.
- this would mean that god is no longer the creator of everything
- the idea of a divine command theory is a requirement of god's omnipotence
- Plato wrote a dialogue called Euthyphro, in which Euthyphro is taking his father to court, charging him with murder
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