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Stengths and weaknesses of divine command theory
Strengths and weaknesses of divine command theory
Platos concept on justice
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Divine Command Theory is the ethical theory that presents the argument that decisions of what is right and wrong comes from the will of God. It states that actions commanded by God are moral or right, and actions condemned by God are immoral or wrong. It also explains that in order to be a moral individual you must follow and obey the commands of God. The argument in Plato’s Euthyphro is presented in the form of the question, “Is something good or moral because God commands it to be, or does God command something because it is good or moral?”.
If the first portion of that question is true, and we are basing moral decisions off of the command or condemnation of God, then moral decisions are simply arbitrary. This means that decisions are not
made based off of reason, but simply on a whim because of a personal opinion. The issue of Authoritarianism and Egoism both arise when we look from this angle. The issue of Authoritarianism presents that the force or energy in which your body moves is simply because God is all powerful. However, this is shows no logical truth as to why that is the moral or right decision. The issue of Egoism states that fear of punishment or the guarantee of reward is the driving factor behind an individual making the right or morally correct decision. The biggest problem with this is that there is no motivation behind someone making the morally correct decision other than for selfish gain. If the second portion of that question is true, then God is answering to someone or something greater than himself. This would mean that there is a larger, more powerful deity that is creating the standards for what is and what is not morally sound, and God is simply making commands from those regulations.
When discussing specific knowledge, it is often hard to pin down an exact definition of what it is you are discussing. Often a concept or word will get thrown around so often that it will begin to be taken for granted and when pressed, a person may struggle to pin down specifically what it is they mean. Realizing this, Socrates often went out and attempted to fix these kinds of problems and find out what people actually knew, compared to what they just thought they knew. In the dialogues Euthyphro and Meno, Socrates attempts to pin down definitions for piety and virtue, respectively. In doing so, we are shown that the thinkers in question struggle to define these terms, and attempt to do so in vague terms that may vary heavily under different circumstances. What Socrates is attempting to find is one definitive definition of piety and virtue, what is called his One Form Requirement. Rather than defining something by classifying different parts that make it up, Socrates maintains the belief that piety and virtue both can be simplified into one specific form that describes exactly what makes all F actions F.
This essay discusses and clarifies a concept that is central to Plato's argument in the Republic — an argument in favour of the transcendent value of justice as a human good; that justice informs and guides moral conduct. Plato's argument implies that justice and morality are intimately interconnected, because the excellence and goodness of human life — the best way for a person to live — is intimately dependent upon and closely interwoven with those 'things that we find desirable in themselves and for their consequences [1]. Hence, we acknowledge that Plato Is moral thesis cannot be interpreted either as a deontological or as a consequentialist argument — or as an act centred or agent centred moral concept. Plato's thesis is informative, in philosophical terms, precisely because it enables us to find new and more fruitful ways of looking at those basic questions concerning justice and morality, and the manner in which they are interrelated [2].
Within this theory, God is represented as a moral sovereign and is an omniscient and omnipotent creator of the world; people learn what right or wrong by gaining knowledge of God’s moral commands (Hinman, 2012). Thus, this theory is based on the framework of theism, and can vary according to the particular region and views of the individual theorist who investigates this topic, but there is one common opinion or even statement that within this theory only God can define what is morality and moral obligations. Moreover, metaphysics is also used as the foundation for morality in Divine Command Theory. Nevertheless, one should note that when evaluating the philosophical merits and drawbacks of this theory, it is necessary to take a broad perspective and consider the connections which can appear between the theory and other religious, psychological and moral issues, as well as the relevant questions connected with epistemology, aesthetics and metaphysics, which help to make a plan of life. Another important thing is that here it is possible to act for self-interest, as commands of self-sacrifice are considered as those approved by God. On the other hand there is something unsuitable concerning punishment, because in most cases people try to avoid it and instead to gain an eternal bliss which help them to achieve a moral
The Divine Command theory is the ethical theory that I believe is the best ethical theory to live by. One problem with this theory, as stated by several philosophers, is whether or not that theory would make God the originator of morality. Many believe that if this were the case, then God could will any crime to become morally right. According to some, if this were the case, it would mean that God’s commands become arbitrary and have no real reason behind them. As a religious person, I am inclined to believe that a supreme being automatically knows what is best for his own creations simply because of the fact that he created them. Just as a parent acts in the best interests of their children, God acts in a way that will have the best end result
Cultural Relativism and the Divine Command Theory both had a tough time explaining why culture and God had the rights to state what is considered moral behavior. Especially when you lay your trust on God to guide you on what is moral or not, you face dangerous risks because there is a possibility that God is just a make-believe person up in the sky. Hence, humans who follow God’s words can misinterpret his meanings and cause immoral behavior in society. On the other hand, Ethical Relativism appeals to an authority that is present on this in this world, society and cultures. Nevertheless, society and cultures should not be relied on to indicate moral and immoral behavior because it is questionable to believe that our actions become moral just for the reason that our culture or society accepts them as normal. Despite the differences between The Divine Command Theory and Cultural Relativism, they both are theories that just fall short of their
For this reason, Virtue Ethics is considered by some to be a viable theory in understanding the moral conduct and character of a person. Virtue Ethics has also stated that an act or choice is morally right if the individual carrying out the act exercises exhibits or develops a morally virtuous character. Moreover, an act or decision is immoral if the individual enacting it exerts, displays, or acquires a virtuously immoral character. However, it does not take into account ethical duties, a standard of rules, or the consequences of a particular action. In addition, it does not include a general agreement that defines what the virtues are; it is also possible that any list of virtues could be relative to the culture establishing them. In contrast to Virtue Ethics, the Divine Command Theory advocates for strict adherence to God’s Law. It states that God is the ultimate arbiter of what constitutes morality and that without Him; there is no clear way
However, Socrates argues that what is holy and what has been approved of the gods cannot be the same. He highlights the ambiguous argument that what is holy is determined by the gods, yet what is holy directs what the gods will approve. Simple reasoning dictates that the two cannot be perceived as the same. In another attempt, Euthyphro posits that holiness correlates to justice, in a religious sense. The teacher has defined it as justice focused on protecting the will and teachings of the gods.
The unrestricted divine command theory is committed to morality being completely and solely dependent of the commands of God. This basically explains the reason any action is good or bad, and the reason an action can be called good is because God is good, just, and righteous. The question posed by Socrates proposes a thought that maybe instead of good and bad being determined by God that God’s commands are right because they were first good.
Morality is based on the commands and ever unchanging character of God and if God did not exist then so it would be the same with morality. Following the will of God is not only to the benefit of oneself but often to the benefit of others because it is good. God is knowledgeable, strategic, just and wise in addition to having the comprehension of what is best for every individual person. I choose to follow God’s will because it is right, not because I always enjoy the outcomes, but rather because I know that it is for the better.
Divine command ethics is a theory that states, that an action's moral content is equivalent to if it was commanded by God. It states that if God is all powerful, then he must also be all good. It then follows that if God is all good, everything He commands must be moral. It uses God as the only basis of determining if a particular action is moral. Moreover it states that an action cannot be moral if, God did not expressly command the action to be performed, this theory also does not allow an atheist to be able to perform a moral action even by mistake. Since the morality of the action depends entirely on if God would have commande...
Religions are found all around the world and are a central building block for the way people choose to live their lives. In the United States alone, 89% of the adult population admits to believing in some form of God or universal spirit (Lipka). This means there is a good chance that those who believe in God would panic and become defensive when they heard Russ Shafer-Landau use of the Euthyphro argument to show that the Divine Command Theory is false. However, they shouldn’t panic so quickly as Russ Shafer-Landau is only uses the argument as part of his paper to prove his main point that ethics can be objective, which means they exists beyond personal bias and interpretations. This does not mean that God doesn’t exists but only that there
In religion, the concepts of good and evil refer to a range of objects, desires, and behaviors which constitute morally positive and morally negative consequences on a spiritual level. Good is a broad concept typically comprised by associations with charity, happiness, love, and prosperity. Evil, on the other hand, can represent deliberate wrongdoing, actions designed to harm others, humiliation of people with the intent to diminish their needs and dignity, and acts of violence. Although each major religion varies in its distinctions of the two conceptions of morality, good and bad are cultural universals originating from Pre-Socratic philosophical notions. Morality in its absolute sense can be traced back to the dialogues of Plato. Book IV of Plato’s “Republic” ...
Since the beginning of time religion has always played a pivotal part in our history. Religion has brought people together and has torn nations apart. Plato’s Euthyphro brings “piety” into question, which goes hand in hand with religion because piety can be defined as the value of one’s devotion and holiness to his/her religion. In modern times, Piety can be interpreted as a way for a devotee to win the forgiveness of God or get into God’s good graces. In this paper, I will defend Euthyphro’s argument for moral realism and argue against his interpretation of the divine command theory.
What God commanded to do what is really good, or is considered to be good simply because it is God's will that its mandate is considered to be good?
The Theory of Natural Law, defined in three aspects, there being a natural order in the world, everything having a purpose and how things are and how things ought to be. This theory also states that humans can distinguish between what is right or wrong through human reason/moral knowledge. On the other hand, the Divine Command Theory is a view of morality and believes that what’s right or wrong is set by God’s moral commands. God’s commands tell us what is morally obligatory, permitted and wrong.