Objectives: SWBAT

Debate the role of religion in morality Identify the strong and weak forms of

Divine Command Theory Critique DCT

RELIGION AND MORALITY

8.3 Forensics December 6, 2013

Introduction

What is the connection between religion and morality? Many ethical terms have religious

connotations Religious institutions often endorse

certain ethical positions or doctrines

Philosophers disagree over the connection

Introduction

Relates to philosophical questions Is there a true religion? (Which one?) Does God exist? Is there an afterlife?

Suppose God DOES exist What is the relationship between God

and morality?

Divine Command Theory

God is supposed to be superbly good. “good” is the key word

If the connection is very close Divine Command Theory

Normative ethical theory with two two parts

DCT1 – Something is morally good if and only if God approves of it (Axiology)

DCT2 – An act-token X performed by person P at time T is morally right if and only if X is what God commands or desires P to do at T (normative ethics of behavior)

Divine Command Theory

Was this the right thing to do? If god wished me to do it at

this time, then it was. If God did not wish me to do

that at that time, then it wasn’t Something like this suggested

by Old Testament New Testament Koran

Meta-ethical critiques of DCT 1) People who agree

with DCT can disagree about what makes it true:

THE STRONG FORM:God’s approving of it is

what makes the thing good or the action right

Morality is nothing more nor less than God’s pronouncements, commands and wishes

Two Meta-ethical critiques of DCT The Weak form

Things are good or actions are right on independent grounds from God’s commandments

It is not God that makes the action right

It is right because God approves of it

An analogy

An organism is a chordate if and only if it has a heart

An organism is a chordate if and only if it has a kidney

Both these sentences are true, but for different reasons

Euthryphro’s Dilemma

Plato (427 – 347 BCE)

Plato was an Athenian

philosopher and student of Socrates

In this dilemma Plato recounts the debate between Socrates and Euthryphro They are debating the nature of “piety”

(goodness)

RELIGION AND MORALITY

8.3 Forensics December 7, 2013

Objectives: SWBAT

Debate the role of religion in morality Identify the strong and weak forms of

Divine Command Theory Critique DCT

Euthyphro’s dilemma

Is good loved by the gods because it is good, or is it good because it is loved by the gods?

Euthryphro believes that the gods love things because they are good

Socrates concludes that goodness must be something different from being loved by the gods.

Criticism of DCT

God’s commands and attitudes themselves are completely arbitrary Whatever God commands or approves of

is right It doesn’t matter what the consequences

are

Criticisms of DCT

What do we mean by “God is good”? Does it mean that God approves of God?

I call something “schmood” only if Mr. Headley approves of it

Obviously Headley himself is “schmood”

If good is like “schmood,” why should I care about “good” things more than “schmood” things?

Criticisms of WEAK DCT

Something else besides God makes things good/ right Doesn’t mean that DCT is false However, it seems that as an ethical

theory, it feels like a cop out and it is missing a fundamental question of right and wrong

Criticisms of WEAK DCT

Does not give us concrete answers on what to do in real situations

We need to know what God commands (DCT 1) Can we actually communicate with God? We can consult scripture

Which one? Which translation? Often take the form of stories and parables not

“Do this, not this”

The 10 Commandments

The 10 commandments give the following criterion for acting morally: (10C) An act-token X performed by person

P ant time T is morally right if and only if (X,P,T) does not violate any of the 10 commandments

Are there acts that violate the 10C that are morally right?

Are there acts that DON’T violate the 10C that are morally wrong?

The big question….

What if God, does not exist?

The existence of God

The question sheds light on the connection of morality and religion in society

Can morality exist without God?

What if God doesn’t exist?

The purpose of human existence? If God does not exist , then there is no God-

given purpose to existence If there is no God-given purpose to

existence, then there is no one right way for a person to live his/her life

If there is no one right way to live one’s life, then there can be no morality

Therefore, if God does not exist, there can be no morality.

What if God doesn’t exist?

The supernatural punishment argument If God does not exist, then here is no

heaven or hell (or karma etc) If there is no heaven, hell, etc. then there is

no motivation for people to act rightly instead of wrongly

If there is no motivation to act rightly instead of wrongly, then there can be no morality

Therefore, if God does not exist there can be no morality