The Euthyphro Dilemma: Religion and Morality (Divine Command Theory)

Summary

This script explores the Euthyphro dilemma, challenging the divine command theory of morality. It presents two horns: morality is either arbitrary, with God's commands determining goodness, or God is not the source of morality and is subject to an external moral law. The third option, that God is goodness itself, is also critiqued as collapsing into the first two. The discussion prompts a deeper examination of the relationship between morality and religion, questioning whether morality can be based solely on God's commands.

Takeaways

• 📜 The Euthyphro dilemma explores the relationship between ethics and religion, specifically whether morality is derived from God's commands or if God's commands are moral because they align with an independent standard of goodness.
• 🙏 Divine Command Theory posits that an act is morally good if God commands it and morally bad if God forbids it.
• 🤔 The Euthyphro dilemma presents two horns: if God wills something because it's good, it implies a moral standard outside of God; if something is good because God wills it, morality becomes arbitrary.
• 👶 The dilemma illustrates the problem with divine command theory by asking whether actions like drowning children for fun could become morally good if God commanded them.
• 🧐 Intelligent theists and atheists recognize the Euthyphro dilemma as a deep philosophical problem that challenges the basis of divine command theory.
• 🖼️ The script uses three pictures to visually represent the dilemma's options and the implications of each.
• 🔄 The first option (God wills it because it's good) is problematic because it suggests there's a standard of goodness independent of God, making God a 'middleman' rather than the source of morality.
• 🔄 The second option (it's good because God wills it) is criticized for making morality arbitrary and dependent solely on God's will, which could change at any time.
• 🔄 The third option (God is goodness) is considered but collapses into the first two options when considering whether God's essence was chosen or inherent.
• 📚 The Euthyphro dilemma is not an argument against God's existence but a challenge to the idea that morality can be based solely on God's commands.
• 💭 The script encourages deep reflection on the dilemma and suggests that even divine command theorists often rely on reasons for morality that are independent of God's commands.

Q & A

What is Divine Command Theory?

Divine Command Theory is the belief that things are good because God commands them, and things are bad because God forbids them. In this view, morality is determined by God's will.

What is the Euthyphro Dilemma as presented in the script?

The Euthyphro Dilemma asks whether something is good because God wills it, or if God wills it because it is good. This presents a challenge to Divine Command Theory by questioning whether morality is arbitrary or if there is a standard of goodness independent of God.

What is the first problem with the view that morality is based solely on God's commands?

The first problem is that it makes morality arbitrary. If morality is determined solely by God's will, then God could command anything, even morally heinous acts like killing children, and it would be considered good.

How does Divine Command Theory lead to moral arbitrariness?

If morality is based solely on what God commands, then any act, no matter how cruel or unjust, could be deemed good if God wills it. This makes morality subject to change and potentially arbitrary.

What is the second option of the Euthyphro Dilemma?

The second option is that God commands something because it is good. However, this implies that goodness exists independently of God, which challenges the idea of God as the ultimate source of morality.

Why is the second option problematic for monotheists?

The second option suggests that there is an independent standard of goodness outside of God, which contradicts the belief that God is the omnipotent source of all goodness. It turns God into a 'middleman' rather than the creator of moral law.

What is the third option some propose to resolve the Euthyphro Dilemma?

Some propose that God is goodness itself, and morality flows from God's essence rather than being arbitrary or based on an independent standard. This view attempts to reconcile the dilemma by suggesting that God's essence is inherently good.

How does the third option still face issues related to the Euthyphro Dilemma?

The third option faces the issue of whether God chose His essence. If God chose His essence, then He could have chosen an essence that allows for morally wrong acts. If God did not choose His essence, then there is something independent of God that determines His essence, which brings back the original dilemma.

What is the challenge to Divine Command Theory presented by examples like Abraham and modern-day religious extremists?

The challenge is that if morality is solely based on God's commands, there is no way to know whether God might command morally heinous acts, as in the story of Abraham being commanded to sacrifice his son. This raises concerns about the reliability of basing morality on divine commands alone.

What does the script suggest is the relationship between reason, empathy, and morality in opposition to Divine Command Theory?

The script suggests that even intelligent theists believe God gave humans reason and empathy to discover what is morally right and wrong. Morality should be based on these factors to promote human flourishing, rather than being solely reliant on God's commands.