Strengths of heteronomous

• Heteronomous ethics

  • Acknowledges the importance of reason in moral decision making
  • Recognises and values the role of reason
  • Supported by Aquinas and scholars like Kant who argue that through applying reason (to discover categorical imperatives) we could access moral law
• Theonomous ethics


  Gives little, if any, authority to reason in discovering moral principles
• Heteronomous ethics

  • Tends to have a non-propositional view of the Bible
  • Avoids problems of theonomous & propositional approach (e.g. conflict with science, passages encouraging intolerance)
• Non-propositional approach

  The Bible must be interpreted, avoids some problems of literal reading
• Heteronomous ethics

  More autonomous than theonomous ethics
• Autonomy in heteronomous ethics

  Reason and conscience play a role, but less autonomy than autonomous ethics
• Pope Pius criticised autonomous approaches, such as situation ethics, as 'too individualistic and subjective'
• Heteronomous ethics

  • Offers the right balance - between deontological ethical commands given by the Church and the Bible, whilst retaining an element of autonomy through reason and the conscience