Transcript divine command theory - Western Washington University

divine command theory
the euthyphro argument
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The Divine Command Theory (DCT):
There are some objective moral truths. “X is
right” means “God commands X”. “X is
wrong” means “God commands against X”.
The Revised Divine Command Theory
(RDCT): There are some objective moral
truths. For any right action X, X is right
because and only because God commands X.
For any wrong action X, X is wrong because
and only because God commands against X.
the divine command theory
the divine command theory
the divine command theory
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SOCRATES: Remember, then, that I did not ask you
to tell me one or two of all the many pious actions
that there are; I want to know what is characteristic
of piety which makes all pious actions pious. You said,
I think, that there is one characteristic which makes
all pious actions pious, and another characteristic
which makes all impious actions impious. Do you
remember?
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EUTHYPHRO: Well, I should say that piety is what all
the gods love, and that impiety is what they all hate.
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SOCRATES: Now consider this question. Do the gods
love piety because it is pious, or is it pious because
they love it?
the euthyphro argument
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Either (a) things are right because God
commands them or (b) God commands
things because they are right.
If (a), morality is contingent and God is
arbitrary.
Morality is not contingent and God is not
arbitrary.
[So] (b).
If (b), then RDCT is false
[So] RDCT is false.
the euthyphro argument