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Morality and Religion

Morality and Religion. Does morality depend on religion?. Two Religiously Dependent Positions. Divine Command Theory Natural Law Theory. Divine Command Theory. Moral = "that which God commands". 2 Problems for Divine Command Theory.

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Morality and Religion

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  1. Morality and Religion

  2. Does morality depend on religion?

  3. Two Religiously Dependent Positions • Divine Command Theory • Natural Law Theory

  4. Divine Command Theory Moral = "that which God commands"

  5. 2 Problems for Divine Command Theory • Diversity: different religions, sects of the same religion, interpretations, atheists, agnostics. • Implications of what follows from the idea itself.

  6. Assume that the statement "Moral is that which God commands" is TRUE. • What questions does this raise about the nature of morality?

  7. Two Questions • Is something moral because God commands it? • Or. . . • Does God command something because it is moral?

  8. Implication of the First Question • God commands • God could have commanded otherwise • God's commands are arbitrary

  9. Implications of the Second Question • God only commands good things • Gods commands are thus constrained by morality. • There is a source of morality independent of God. • Therefore, God is not the source of morality...why do we need God?

  10. Religious morality is ultimately based on faith and not reason. • (Problematic if we want a morality that is justified to all people)

  11. Natural Law Theory

  12. 3 Main Components • The world has a rational order with values and purposes built into it. • Laws of nature not only describe the way things are but the way things ought to be. • Right and wrong are derived from reason.

  13. Problems with Natural Law Theory • Theory is at odds with current scientific theories of the nature of the universe. • Hume: You can't get an 'ought' from an 'is'. • Believers are not in any privileged moral position relative to non-believers.

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