Divine command theory

Question 1

what is divine command theory

Answer 1

• moral and immoral are commanded by the divine
• God is the foundation of this ethical theory
• answers questions for the rest of the world about right and wrong

Question 2

initial drawbacks to DCT

Answer 2

• absolute nature
• impact on free will, cannot choose what is good
• religious texts are outdated and may be affected by human agenda

Question 3

explain euthyphro dilemma context

Answer 3

• plato
• before socrates trial for corrupting youth against the Gods
• euthyphro is DCT and believes he should prosecute bad people as per Gods command
• Soc asked
  ‘ are right actions right as God commands them, or does God command them because they are right’

Question 4

what problems does the euthyphro dilemma raise

Answer 4

• morality can be different due to Gods whim (abraham and isaac)
• principles of morality completely changed

Question 5

what are problems with divine command theory

Answer 5

• God commands and morality become arbitrary –> there is no good, only what God thinks
• value does not stem from God as it changes as to what Good is
• humans find the OG source of Good God uses to command
• he is bound by an outside standard
• not all God’s commands are clear –> which is binding

Question 6

explain the strands of the euthyphro dilemma

Answer 6

choice 1: God loves x as it is good
- independence problem, is there goodness outside of God
choice 2: x is good as God loves it
- arbitrariness. emptiness, Abhorrent commands

Question 7

4 strands of the Euthyphro problem

Answer 7

• INDEPENDENCE
• ARBITRARINESS
• EMPTINESS
• ABHORRENT

Question 8

independence problem in the EP

Answer 8

• theists: moral acts are due to God’s will (he commands morality)
• moral goodness is independent of God’s will
• therefore God is not omnipotent, as morality is separate from him
• should we follow who created this moral value –> do we need god as a third party

Question 9

arbitrariness as a problem in the EP

Answer 9

• because Good/bad depends on Gods whim it is not a adequate foundation of morality
• if morality depends on Gods decisions on what is good, he is not informed by reality
  -‘god makes decisions in a moral vacuum’
• can make any decisions as there are no basis for his commands
• commands are morally arbitrary but not completely Arb –> can use utilitarianism

Question 10

emptiness as a problem in the EP

Answer 10

• standard moral claims about God are empty
• the descriptors are based on God
• God is good is an empty statement as God commands what Good is
• this does not make good grounding for worship
• God willing himself a characteristic does not mean he lives up to it

BUT
1. tautologies are significant as they show qualities
2. PCT is only an analysis of human qualitites

Question 11

abhorrent commands in the EP

Answer 11

• possibility that terrible acts can be morally good according to God’s whim
• if God is arb he can command something terrible
• saying that god cannot do that (restrained), his omnipotence is questioned
• what is restraining god??

Question 12

divine command theory overall strengths

Answer 12

• moral guidelines
• order in society with so many subscribers
• absolute nature
• omnibenevolence
• God’s commandments are loving
• religious texts are accessible
• consistent with religious belief + societal norms
• divine command strengthens concept of good

Question 13

DCT overall weaknesses

Answer 13

• euthyphro dilemma
• not applicable to athiests
• holy books are outdated and authorship is debated –> is it Gods word
• contradictions in rel texts: between and within
• different versions on morality through religious differences
• concept of divine?
• Gods whims/abhorrent commands –> could change
• free will restricted by commands
• reduces ability to develop as a moral agent
• hierarchy of commands
• complex situations ignored

Question 14

examine the meaning of right and wrong in DCT

Answer 14

right
- followin gods command/scripture
- morality is gods decision
- absolute rules of God –> 10 commandments ‘thou shalt not kill’
- shar’iah law
- jesus commands: jesus is god in Christianity
- abrahamic: end reward of heaven –> reward for moral obedience

wrong
- what god says not to do
- ‘‘thou shalt not kill’