Ethics Theme 1 A
God revealed what is right and wrong, as they are commandments from God we should obey him. He gave us freewill to choose to obey him or not
Euthyphro dilemma
Other criticisms of the DCT
4 main points of the DCT
Is something good because God commands it or does God command it because it is good? ~ Plato
How do we know what Gods will is?
Does it make us slaves to blindly follow what he commands? Rob us of our autonomy?
Does it make ethics arbitrary? Determined by whim not necessity?
Does doing good simply out of obedience mean that we are being good for the right reasons? ~ Bowie
God is omniscient and wise : . we must trust his judgement. Gods nature is "good", his whole essence is "goodness"
: . rules given by God are good or God wouldn't have given them
Christian ideas about hoe to act are linked to the understanding of God as the "father" - he knows whats best for us
God is perfect and since he created the earth they too are also perfect
Fall of Adam and Eve
God chooses not to act unfairly because that would be inconsistent with his nature
God is all powerful so had total freedom to do whatever he wants
: . God orders the universe through Divine laws
Humans, being powerless to him should obey his laws
4 Levels of law
Divine
Human
Eternal
Natural
Strengths of DCT
Fits the Christian idea of God being omnipotent
Fits the idea of God being the creator of the universe who expects humans to care for the environment.
It is an objective moral system that is not based on human emotions or on consequences
If morality exists independently of God then he is not all powerful, he too can b judged and morality exists independently of religion
If God chooses what is good then he could command acts which would make him a tyrant
William of Occam
1) whatever God wills is morally right 2) God has total power ti make evil good
This would allow crusaders to kill because they were doing Gods will
God could make evil good but chooses not to to stick to his moral frame work
Robert Adams
Argued that God would not decide to go against anything that goes against his nature as revealed in the Bible
Peter Geach
Actions are morally right or wrong in themselves making DCT unnecessary
Do we do things because God said so
or
because we choose to