How is something known as morally right or morally wrong? People generally know the difference between right and wrong. However, what is it that makes it so? According to some it is the Divine Command Theory. The divine command theory is a meta-ethical theory of rightness and wrongness. For example, A is morally right because God commands or approves of it and A is morally wrong because God forbids and disapproves of it. The argument that will be put forth is that divine command theory is false because issues that are considered morally wrong can be considered right if God commands it and since there is no correct religion then divine command theory cannot be true. In a dialogue, by Plato, titled “Euthyphro’s Dilemma”, it showcases philosopher …show more content…
The only thing that makes an act morally wrong is if God prohibits it, following this, it would mean that the only reason torture is wrong is because God prohibits it. That begs the question: Is torture wrong because God prohibits it or does God prohibit torture because it is already wrong? Divine command theory follows the route that torture is wrong because of God but if you take a look at Euthyphro’s dilemma he states that if God prohibits torture he does so because torture is intrinsically wrong, not merely because he declares torture is wrong already. So if torture is intrinsically wrong, then it is wrong regardless of whether or not God exists. If divine command theory was true then instead of saying “torture is wrong” we would be saying “God prohibits torture.” Going with the notion that divine command theory is false, if God were to command torture, then people wouldn’t do it because it is intrinsically wrong to torture others. If divine command theory was true then if some day God commanded torture was right then everyone would be torturing …show more content…
If there was a God who did wrong instead of right then all these wrongs would be considered right. Divine command theory means that people should not question God and that He does not need to justify His commands to anyone. This can be drawn towards culture and each culture’s religion. In our world today there are so many cultures with different religions that you probably couldn’t name them all. So since there are so many religions how does divine command theory fit? There is no way of knowing which religious tradition is correct. What is seen as right in one culture is seen as wrong in another. An example of this is that the Greeks believed it was wrong to eat the dead, whereas the Callatians believed it was right to eat the dead. Therefore, eating the dead is neither objectively right nor objectively wrong. It is merely a matter of opinion which varies from culture to culture. (Rachels, 749) The God or Gods that the Callatians believe in could say that it is okay to eat the dead whereas the God or Gods that the Greeks believe in could say that it is wrong to eat the dead. Both cultures have completely different beliefs about one subject. Both firmly believe that what they are doing is right and would see each other as doing something wrong. If we don’t know which religion and which God is correct then how can divine command theory
As Mortimer puts it, things are right “because God commands it”(Mortimer 3). The value of right and wrong come from the words of God, not because they are intrinsically good themselves. If morals were intrinsically good or bad without God, then they would have had to exist before God. This would not hold up with the Divine Command Theory because in paragraph 3, Mortimer conveys that God was to exist first and is the source and creator of all. Creation of everything would include both moral truths and their morality. Moral truths would have to exist before God in order for there to be intrinsic morals. In the case where morals were intrinsically good or bad, God would simply be a messenger to what is good or bad, not creating the goodness in morals but simply deciphering them. Divine Command Theory can be isolated to two significant claims:
or character of God, and that the morally right action is the one that God commands or
there. Therefore, Torture is illegitimate. Torturing is however, is an illegal act only when the
The Divine command theory states that morally right actions are those commanded by God, and any action going against it is morally wrong. People that accept this theory can only consider an act to be right or wrong if God commanded it to be so. Therefore, supporters of this theory have a moral obligation to do and obey whatever God considered to be right without questioning his judgment. Those in favor of this theory should fulfill his will without any hesitation, regardless of its consequences to society. So if God had claimed abortion to be morally right, everyone supporting this theory were to happily accept it. Moreover, this theory suggests that those who act on a moral sense God desires will be rewarded at the end, perhaps in the afterlife;
Christian morality is very different from the idea of morality. God does not want us to think about right and wrong. He simply wants all of us. He does not want our desires or interests, our money or time, he wants us to lay our faults and self at His feet. Once we turn ourselves over to him, he gives us a new self.
The Divine Command Theory is an ethical theory that basically proposes that God is the sole distinguisher between what is right and what is wrong. The textbook describes that under this theory, God commands what is moral and forbids what is immoral. Critics of this theory state that if God is the sole decision maker of morality, immoral actions could be acceptable if He willed it, and thus, God’s authority would be subjective and arbitrary. However, proponents contend that God would not allow immoral actions because he is omnipotent and all good. To follow the Divine Command Theory, one must believe and trust that it is in God’s nature to do good, and He will not act against his nature. By believing in this, one would dispute the critics’ argument by proving that God his not making
In order to assess the morality of torture, one needs to define it. According to the Tokyo Declaration of 1975 torture is “the deliberate, systematic, or wanton infliction of physical or mental suffering by one or more persons acting alone or on the orders of any authority, to force another person to yield information, to make a confession or for any other reason.” This definition’s generality severely limits harmless interrogations by police. The United Nations changed the definition to include severe physical suffering, deliberate intentions, and also added that the action cannot be part of a lawful sanction. The US later revised the definition “to include only the most extreme pain” in 200...
The use of torture has always been a hot topic of moral and ethical discussion. Typically, the discussion is not about whether or not torture is good, but rather if there is ever a morally acceptable situation in which torture should be allowed to occur. Does a criminal’s deeds strip him of basic human rights and make it morally okay for him to be physically and mentally abused? Do certain situations such as war make torture acceptable? It is generally agreed upon that torture is a terrible violation of a person and their rights; the common thread among moral questions such as these is if there are any times when torture could be considered morally acceptable. In order to analyze this moral dilemma, an ethical system is commonly used as a
The Divine Command theory of ethics is a theory that states that an act is right or wrong and good or bad based on whether or not God commands or prohibits us from doing it. This means that the only thing that makes an action morally wrong is because God says it is. There are two sides to this theory; the restricted and the unrestricted. The restricted theory basically says that an action is obligatory if and only if it is good and God commanded it; the unrestricted theory states that an act is only obligatory if it is commanded by God, it is not obligatory if it is prohibited by God and it is optional if and only if God has not commanded nor prohibited it.
For many years now, people have always wondered what ethical principle is the right one to follow. These individuals are all seeking the answer to the question that the ethical principles are trying to clarify: What defines moral behavior? The Divine Command Theory and the theories of cultural relativism are two principles of many out there that provide us with explanations on what our ethical decisions are based on and what we consider to be our moral compass in life. Even though these two theories make well-supported arguments on why they are the right principle to follow, it is hard to pinpoint which one should guide our choices because of the wide array of ethical systems. Therefore, what is morally right or wrong differs greatly depending
Divine command states that what is moral is determined by what God commands, and that to be moral is to follow his commands. For example, Jehovah’s witnesses do not allow blood fusions because their scriptures say humans are not allowed to drink blood; although blood transfusions are allowed for children. Even though modern society does not condemn blood transfusions many Jehovah’s witnesses do not allow blood transfusions because they believe God does not allow blood transfusions. God is the almighty, and what he commands is morally right. Another concrete application of divine command theory is the five pillars of Islam. One must devote his life to following the five pillars; the pillars are correct because God insists upon it. Every Muslim is obliged to believe that there is no other God than Allah, ritual prayer must be done five times a day facing the holy city Mecca, fasting must be done during the month of Ramadan, give at least 2.5% savings to the poor, and make a visit to Mecca at least once in a person’s life time. People follow divine command to the fullest because it is moral to follow God’s commands.
The first one being that the notation that a greater power, being God, influences our judgements is highly unlikely and improbable. There is no scientific evidence that supports the existence of God, which contradicts that God could have instilled any type of moral judgement within us. Another being that, not all natural human tendencies are morally good, according to the 7 basic goods the desire to procreate is morally good. This would give sexual assault a justification, saying that rape is a form of procreation and therefore morally good. On the other side of the argument, Utilitarianism is a very consequentialist point of view, saying that our actions should be measured by the amount of pleasure they produce. So if our actions are wrong, the can still be seen as morally good if they produce the maximum amount of pleasure for the maximum amount of people. As Mark Timmons said in his book Moral Theory: An Introduction “which leads naturally to the simplest solution to the problem of moral conflict: utilitarianism.” (Timmons 797). Very much like a math problem, utilitarianism is a formula for the most pleasure, however it disregards personal interest and fails to respect persons and their
The Divine Command Theory is the idea that what makes an action wrong or right is the command of God. Therefore, an action is morally obligatory if God commands it is right. An action is morally wrong if God commands it is wrong. Lastly, an action is only optional if God doesn’t command it or forbid it. Morality is commanded by God independently of what we think is right or wrong. For instance, if God commands that murder is wrong, than it is wrong only because God commands it is wrong. If he commands that donating to charity is right, it is only right because of his will.
From a moral standpoint, torture is wrong and unacceptable. Many religious people are against this act of violence because they see it as a violation of the dignity of a human being. Humans have the right to not have intentional harm upon themselves from others. The ban on torture furthermore supports this certain right. Not only does torture violate people’s rights, but they also violate the demands of justice. In the past, many of our nation’s people have been tortured and we have had a problem with it; but when it’s not you the one that is being tortured, it seems to be fine. Have you heard of the golden rule, “Treat others only as you consent to being treated in the same situation? (7)” This applies very well to this problem.
To answer this question, we must first understand what both ethics and morality are. As ethics is defined as the philosophical study of morality, those who study religion get their moral precepts from what they believe God says should be done. This perspective is not at all unexpected, because all religions apply a perspective on morality. Morality is defined as beliefs concerning right and wrong, good and bad- beliefs that can include judgements, values, rules, principles, and theories. Morals are what help us guide our actions, define our values, and give us reason for being the person that we are.