With 100% Verified Answers
Moral realism
- there are both objective moral truths and objective moral fallacies
Moral realism steps
(1) no statement is true/false except objective reality makes it so
(2) there are true moral statements
(3) so, moral statements are made true or false by objective reality
Kant on moral realism
(1) it is rationally (morally necessary) to find perfect good, since happiness comes f. complete virtue
(2) there is an obligation to attain what is possible to be attained
(3) perfect good's goal is only possible if natural order/causality are parts of a greater moral order
(4) moral order only possible if God is the source
(5) so, there is a moral necessity to conclude God exists
Euthyphro dilemma
- does God will the good because it is good?
OR
- is it good because God wills it?
Good because it is good
- "the good" and "God" become indep. f. each other, so must be followed
- problematic because "the good" itself is not divine
Because God wills it
- makes "the good" contingent on God, whatever God commands is "good"
- no room for intrinsic good
Aquinas on the Euthyphro dilemma
- not a dilemma, because God and the good are the same thing
- this is due to the Doctrine of Divine Simplicity: God is identical to his attributes
Kant on God's moral criteria
- Abraham should have inferred he was not hearing the voice of God, but he was unable to since he
thought morality becomes f. God
Religion corrupts morality (Rachel)
- belief in God requires an attitude that is inappropriate to an autonomous moral agent
Rachel's argument
(1) belief in God means an unqualified commitment to obey his command
(2) to be a good moral agent means to act on principles that come autonomously f. proper moral
behaviour that is valid
(3) so, belief in God is in conflict w/ good moral agency