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Phil - Unit 2: Ethics without Religion - Coggle Diagram
Phil - Unit 2: Ethics without Religion
1. Divine Command Theory (DCT) - Morgan
Definition: Morality is determined by God's commands
Strengths: Provides an objective source for morality; Clear moral guidance for believers
Challenges: Euthyphro Dilemma: Is something good because God commands it, or does God command it because it's good; Risks making morality arbitrary or dependent on divine whims.
Critique: Difficult to apply in secular or pluralistic societies.
2. Natural Law Theory (NLT) - Aquinas
Core Idea: Morality is based on human nature and rational understanding.
Key Terms
Eternal Law: God's grand plan
Natural Law: Portion knowable by person
Primary precepts: Universal goals (preserve life, reproduce, seek truth)
Secondary precepts: contextual application of the primary ones.
Aquina's View" Reason reveals morality; divine law supplements it.
Objections: The "is-out" problem (Hume); Diverse moral practices challenge its universality.
Support: Still influential in bioethics, law, and politics.
3. Modern Interpretation: Understanding Natural Law - Wolfe
Context: Reasserts NLT's role in secular, democratic societies.
Focus: Relevance in constitutional law and public morality debates; How NLT avoids religious dependency by grounding itself in reason.
Defending NLT Against Criticism: Not purely religious; applies to secular reasoning; Flexible enough to evolve with human understanding while rooted in core principles.
Controversies: Critics say it assumes a fixed human nature; Debates about whether it adequately addresses modern diversity.