Divine command Theory

• Ethical, absolutist, normative theory 


  Morality has a supernatural basis in which what is 'good' is linked to the existence of a divine being
• Theists who believe Divine Command Theory (DCT)

  All moral requirements come from God who created everything ex Nihlo and is the originator of morality
• DCT

  • Objective impartial law
  • Not dependant on human perspective
  • Result of a transcendent decree
• Euthyphro Dilemma


  The dilemma proposed by Plato in which Socrates asks Euthyphro whether the pious or holy is beloved by the gods because it is holy, or holy because it is beloved of the Gods
• Divine command theory

  The theory proposed by the philosopher Greek scholar Plato, in which morality is determined by the commands of God
• Divine command theory


  1. Socrates asks Euthyphro if he is certain he is doing the right thing

  2. Euthyphro replies that he is doing the right thing because God hates murder

  3. Euthyphro summarises his position by asking whether the pious or holy is beloved by the gods because it is holy, or holy because it is beloved of the Gods
• First horn of the Euthyphro dilemma


  Good is commanded by God because it is Good
• Second horn of the Euthyphro dilemma (Arbitrariness problem)


  Good is commanded by God therefore it is good
• First horn of the Euthyphro dilemma


  Suggests morality and God are separate, indicating that God is living up to an independent external standard, therefore has no need for God to achieve goodness and can instead look to the external independent standard
• Second horn of the Euthyphro dilemma (Arbitrariness problem)


  Raises the pluralism objection, the idea that there are various different types of religion with contradictions, so theists must decide for themselves through deliberation and thought, mirroring the process which an atheist would do, therefore divine command seems insufficient for deciding what is good
• Robert Adams' modified divine command theory


  Acknowledges the difficulties with the original divine command theory, specifically the arbitrariness problem
• Robert Adams provides three possible solutions to the arbitrariness problem:
• Robert Adam's objection to DCT


  Response to the arbitrariness problem (2nd Horn)
• Adam's 3 possible solutions

  • Logically impossible for god to command evil for his own sake so is senseless to debate it
  • God could command cruelty for its own sake and, if God commanded it, we would be obliged to obey (GOD JUST DOES NOT DO SO)
  • 'Cruelty is against gods command'
• Logically impossible for god to be cruel for his own pleasure so senseless to debate it
• God could command cruelty for his own sake and if God commanded it we would be obliged to obey. But he just does not
• 'Cruelty is against Gods command'
• 3 possible soloutions to arbitrariness problem (Adam’s champions only 1 )

  God can’t command cruelty as a result of his omnibenelovent character.

   
• John Adam’s modified DCT based on Gods omnibenevolence

  “By ‘x’ is ethically wrong’ I mean ‘x’ is contrary to the commands of a loving god’ (Robert Adams, ‘A modified Divine command Theory of Ethical wrongness’)
• Euthyphro Dilemma and arbitrariness problem

  “I wish to understand wether the pious or holy is beloved by the gods because it is holy, or holy because it is beloved of the gods” (Plato, The Republic and other works)
• The first horn: Good is commanded by God because it is good

  -This then raises the problem that God abides by an independent external standard, thus no longer aligns with the charecteristics of a hod of classical theism as he is not all power because he therfore answers to an external standard higher than his own. Also leaves to question the reliancy theist have on god for moral absolutism as they can instead look to the independent external standard.