Homework 11 (For informational purposes only) (No Points)

Part 1: Divine Command Theory
Divine Command Theory is a deontological theory which clearly comes from the position that religion is necessary for morality. In fact, Divine Command Theory looks at the world as being the property of the Creator who made it. This Divine source, or God, has ownership by being the Creator. Therefore, He has authority to set the rules for our lives. Instead of us owning ourselves, as many people think, we are actually the subjects or property of God and, therefore, have a duty to live our lives in accordance with His Will. We have the freedom to obey or disobey, but we do not have the freedom to set the standards which define the concepts of obedience and disobedience themselves.

Divine Command Theorists differ over details, but one position held by many Christians is that there is more to morality than simply obeying God’s commands. This position actually believes that man was never meant to operate apart from constant guidance from God. Therefore, even though a person might happen to be operating according to God’s edicts, he is not morally good unless he is doing so by the constant guidance of God Himself. Here, morality becomes more than simply a matter of behavior, but a matter of behavior and relationship both.

Of course, the natural question which arises is, “Which God and how do we know which set of rules?” Most Divine Command Theorists will claim there is some set of sacred writings and/or a group of people who are so closely in touch with God that they are authorized to speak for Him. By looking to writings/people such as the Bible, the Koran, or the Holy Catholic Church, or even a combination of sources, we can know how we ought to live. For example, according to the Bible, when God wrote the Ten Commandments in the tablets of stone on Mt. Sinai, He made it clear to us that we should not worship idols or covet our neighbors property, among other things. Anyone who does these things is violating the Will of God and is behaving immorally. However, such rules can change or be modified pending new dictates from God Himself.

Plato gave an objection against Divine Command Theory which has troubled many people. Since God is the owner and sets all the standards for morality, there seems to be a strange paradox or dilemma which the Divine Command Theory advocate finds himself caught in. On the one hand, whatever God says is right. Therefore, presumably, if God were to say it is good to rape, it would be. That seems to be a rather unpleasant conclusion. On the other hand, perhaps God cannot say it is okay to rape because there are certain principles in the universe which are independent of God that even He cannot break. If this is the case, then we should be looking for those principles rather than and regardless of God’s Will. We seem to either run the risk of not knowing anything for sure from day to day (since God could change His mind tomorrow) or else God becomes superfluous to the theory. Plato posed the question as, “Are things good because the gods command them, or do the gods command them because they are good?” Either answer seems problematic.

1-6. Answer the questions from above.
7. Does Plato’s objection compel us to discard Divine Command Theory as a serious option?
8. With so many conflicting religions in the world, is Divine Command Theory a useful theory?

Part 2: Natural Law Theory
Natural Law Theory has arisen primarily within the Catholic tradition as a response to Plato’s objections to Divine Command Theory. Natural Law Theory says that God made the universe with certain rules. Many of these rules can be discerned by scientific experiment through experience because they deal with the physical universe. Gravity and Conservation of Mass/Energy are two simple examples. Unlike physical rules, moral rules are not so easily tested. However, they are every bit as real as the physical rules and they, too, were created by God when He fashioned the universe. Since they are not so easy to discover, God has revealed them to us, again, through some combination of people and writings over time. Once God has said that something is wrong, He is bound by His own character not to change His Word. Therefore, since the Ten Commandments say murder is wrong, it is. Just as there are no exceptions to the law of gravity, there are no genuine exceptions to Natural Law Theory because all the rules are already there to establish what is right and wrong. When rules come into conflict with each other, there is a hierarchy to decide which to follow. Things fly not because gravity is not there. They fly because other laws of the physical universe overcome gravity. Similarly, things that seem like exceptions are merely the result of applying the most important or relevant Natural Law but then seeing that this appears to violate some other, less important or less relevant, Natural Law. Unlike Divine Command Theory, Natural Law Theory says that morality is entirely a matter of being in accord with God’s unchanging rules. Even an atheist might be moral, just as an atheist might understand the law of gravity, regardless of his beliefs about Who put it there. Thus, Natural Law Theory has the unique appeal of allowing for God (as Source of the rules) but does not necessarily require talking about Him.

1-6. Answer the questions from above.
7. Can God work miracles which violate the very rules of the physical universe He created?
8. Is there such a thing as a moral miracle?
9. Can God change His mind about something without compromising His Character or Integrity?

Note on Ethical Theories: Choosing Your Own Ethical Theory
You have now read and we have discussed many of the traditional theories of ethics. After having done this, what conclusions have you drawn about what theory is the correct one? How do you decide right from wrong? Are your ethical conclusions binding on other people? On what foundation do you base moral criticisms of other people or cultures? Does morality change over time? When you are doing these criteria, you should consider these questions. You should also consider which theory is the right one and does the best job of explaining right and wrong. Do not simply choose a theory which “fits your ethical prejudices best.” Try to pick the one that makes the most sense and really works the best, even if it challenges some of your other beliefs. Also, you need to be specific about your theory. For instance, which version of Divine Command Theory might you follow specifically? There are many different ones, after all. The purpose of studying all of these theories is not so that you can simply become “more aware” of the options, but so that you may choose one and make at least a presumptive or provisional commitment to live your life by it.