A Defensible Divine Command Theory

Abstract

The term 'The Divine Command Theory of Ethics' is similar to 'The Ontological Argument' in that there is no unique entity deserving of that title. Rather, there is a multiplicity of theories, each of which is appropriately taken to be a divine command theory. The strongest versions are, if not the finest, at least definist. That is, according to these versions moral predicates, such as 'is obligatory,' are to be defined in terms of such theological predicates as, 'is commanded by God,' or moral properties, such as the property of being obligatory, are to be identified with such theological properties as, being commanded by God. Perhaps the most famous defender of this sort of divine command theory is Euthyphro ([ 15]: 9D). However, even if Plato did not succeed in refuting Euthyphro's definition of the pious as that which is loved by the gods-showing at most that Euthyphro's definition is inconsistent with certain other premisses also held by Euthyphro'-definitionai divine command theories are widely held to be at best implausible. I think that the most persuasive consideration against such theories is that most persons, including many theists, who have thought about whether moral and theological predicates are synonymous have not concluded that they are. And, most persons, including many theists, who have thought about whether moral properties are identical with theological ones have not concluded that they are. Perhaps the weakest forms of the divine command theory assert simply that what God commands is coextensive with what is right. Such versions of the theory are compatible with the view that God is not a moral authority in the sense that He has or exercises the right to determine morality, but only in the sense that He gives expert moral advice.2 Other weak versions are possible. According to Richard Swinburne,3 God can bring about the obligation that we obey His commands by placing us in certain circumstances, for example, the circu-mstances of having been created and sustained by Him or of being allowed to use His property. But according to this theory, some of God's commands

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