The divine command theory
- Created by: ana245
- Created on: 26-05-19 08:45
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The divine command theory
is the view that morality is somewhat dependant on god and that moral obligations consist of obedience to God's commands.
The Euthyphro dilemma
Named after Plato a famous Greek philosopher in the years of BCE.(objection to the DCT)
starts of questioning:
is X good because God commands it?
or
God command X because it is good?
the two horns raised by the Euthyphro dilemma:
the independent problem :
- God command X because it is good
- if morally good acts are morally important than Gods willing them to seem good than gods willing is not a necessary condition for good acts to be morally good.
- show that morality has an independent standard - existed within the universe and humans without being created.
- this would make the DCT false as god would be impotent as he did not create morality and not dependent on god.
the arbitrariness problem:
- is X good because God commands it
- meaning what is bad or good depends on god whim(a sudden desire or change of mind, especially one that is unusual or unexplained.), so if X is morally good because God commands it, then it must be commanded by God before X becomes morally good?
- this makes the DCT true, that morality depends on God.
- and that his decision is morally arbitrary(based on personal whim, random choice) so any moral commands could be seen immoral as he personally chooses such as he could command adultery, stealing, being selfish as a morally good act.
- or the fact that gods love and concern for our well being, desires and interest might imply that informs the ultimate reason why morality is as it is.
The Emptiness problem
If divine command theory is true, then God’s will is the standard of moral goodness. To say that God is good, then, would be to say that God is as he wills himself to be. To say that God’s commands are good…
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