When one first begins to consider the nature of morality, many of the fundamentals of moral philosophy are brought to a space of intellectual questioning. One begins to ask oneself questions about whether morality can have objective truth, how can one know what is right and wrong and even why should I be moral? Additionally, many intuitively believe, and are taught through their religions, that God and religion play a large role in morality. The Divine Command Theory is a meta-ethical theory that attempts to answer these questions and provide a framework for the connection between God and morality. There are some prima facie advantages to the Divine Command Theory however; arguments against the divine command theory provide a compelling refutation.
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Commands such as “LEV 10:6 Do not let the hair of your heads hang loose.” These commands seem not to contain moral teachings yet under the Divine Command Theory, this would be considered an immoral act. Indeed the first three (or possibly even the first five) commandments of the Decalogue seem to contain no moral teachings. The Divine Command Theory can be more charitably defined as only pertaining to commands that pertain to interaction between people (and possibly animals). However this may be seen as ad hoc, nonetheless for the purpose of this essay I shall assume this modified version of the Divine Command Theory.
The final prominent advantage of the Divine Command Theory seems to be that it provides prudential reasons to be moral. This may simply be more a case of the belief in religion but nonetheless religions teaching that you will be rewarded and if you do not you will be punished. This often is provides insight into morality based on religion. The basic idea is that if you follow gods mor understood in terms of heaven and hell in the afterlife or simply punishments and rewards during someone’s …show more content…
Firstly, the main purported advantages of the Divine Command Theory were outlined and subsequently shown to be erroneous, at least in same way. These advantages were namely that the theory created objectivity, it had an epistemic advantage as well as creating prudential reasons to be moral, all of which were shown to be flawed in some sense. Secondly, the main objections to the theory were outlined, creating a substantial refutation of the Divine Command Theory. These objections dealt with whether or not god exists, the mysterious conception of morality, arbitrariness and finally it creates wrong reasons for moral
Commands such as “LEV 10:6 Do not let the hair of your heads hang loose.” These commands seem not to contain moral teachings yet under the Divine Command Theory, this would be considered an immoral act. Indeed the first three (or possibly even the first five) commandments of the Decalogue seem to contain no moral teachings. The Divine Command Theory can be more charitably defined as only pertaining to commands that pertain to interaction between people (and possibly animals). However this may be seen as ad hoc, nonetheless for the purpose of this essay I shall assume this modified version of the Divine Command Theory.
The final prominent advantage of the Divine Command Theory seems to be that it provides prudential reasons to be moral. This may simply be more a case of the belief in religion but nonetheless religions teaching that you will be rewarded and if you do not you will be punished. This often is provides insight into morality based on religion. The basic idea is that if you follow gods mor understood in terms of heaven and hell in the afterlife or simply punishments and rewards during someone’s …show more content…
Firstly, the main purported advantages of the Divine Command Theory were outlined and subsequently shown to be erroneous, at least in same way. These advantages were namely that the theory created objectivity, it had an epistemic advantage as well as creating prudential reasons to be moral, all of which were shown to be flawed in some sense. Secondly, the main objections to the theory were outlined, creating a substantial refutation of the Divine Command Theory. These objections dealt with whether or not god exists, the mysterious conception of morality, arbitrariness and finally it creates wrong reasons for moral