King Arthur's View On Religion

The main argument that Arthur states is that religion is not a prominent factor within morality, though it can be related. He also believes that morality is more influenced by society than religion. Arthur does not argue that religion and morality can never be connected; but claims the possibility of the two being independent from each other. The best point he makes is that non-religious people can still have a conception of morality. Arthur’s first problem with religion being the main incentive to do good is with the idea that religion is necessary for moral motivation. The problem with this idea is that many people have different motives, apart from religious ones. Individuals might have more concern about being caught doing something they shouldn’t do, or developing a poor reputation.

Arthur’s next problem is the idea that religion is necessary for moral guidance in that people can only know the moral thing to do through religious teaching and revelation. The problem with that, Arthur explains, is that there are too many things to know. He ponders what would be the appropriate thing to do through revelations being through God’s words and God’s acts and how would

Although the Divine Command Theory assumes that the existence of God is necessary for the existence of morality, Arthur points out the possibility for the existence of good to be completely independent from the existence of God. He believes that the conscience, as a result of social forces, acts as a person’s moral motivation and moral guidance if not religion. Arthur also says that language is necessary for morality. Morality is social as it is an entity that "governs relationships between people.” It is used by individuals to justify their actions to others. Morality, through the consciousness of a person, serves as the voice and perspective of others within the individual—upholding Dewey’s