What is the main principle of Divine Command Theory?
Roughly, Divine Command Theory is the view that morality is somehow dependent upon God, and that moral obligation consists in obedience to God’s commands.
What is Divine Command Theory in your own words?
Divine command theory is the belief that things are right because God commands them to be. In other words, it means that things which are considered wrong or unethical are wrong because they are forbidden by God. It is an absolutist theory.
What are the benefits of Divine Command Theory?
Advantages
- Metaphysical and objective: God is the origin and regulator of morality.
- God knows us best: God is objective, as well as our creator.
- Absolute rules: the laws we have to stick by are often clear, such as the Ten Commandments.
Is the Divine Command Theory universal?
All of these arguments lead us to the fact that the divine command theory is not as universal and robust as many might believe it is. This should not be viewed as an anti-religious argument, rather simply as an invitation for deeper thought into the issues.
What is the principle of consequentialism?
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Consequentialism. Consequentialism is based on two principles: Whether an act is right or wrong depends only on the results of that act. The more good consequences an act produces, the better or more right that act.
Who proposed divine command theory?
philosopher Robert Merrihew Adams
American philosopher Robert Merrihew Adams proposes what he calls a “modified divine command theory”. Adams presents the basic form of his theory by asserting that two statements are equivalent: It is wrong to do X.
What do you mean by divine theory?
Divine command theory (also known as theological voluntarism) is a meta-ethical theory which proposes that an action’s status as morally good is equivalent to whether it is commanded by God.
How does divine command theory define good?
The theory asserts that good actions are morally good as a result of their being commanded by God, and many religious believers subscribe to some form of divine command theory. Because of these premises, adherents believe that moral obligation is obedience to God’s commands; what is morally right is what God desires.
What are the key features of consequentialist theories?
Consequentialism: results-based ethics Consequentialism is based on two principles: Whether an act is right or wrong depends only on the results of that act. The more good consequences an act produces, the better or more right that act.
What are the two types of consequentialism?
Two examples of consequentialism are utilitarianism and hedonism. Utilitarianism judges consequences by a “greatest good for the greatest number” standard. Hedonism, on the other hand, says something is “good” if the consequence produces pleasure or avoids pain.
What are the strengths of the divine command theory?
Divine command theory’s greatest strength is its simplicity. “Do what God tells you to do,” or put another way, “good things are what God decides is good.”. No ifs, ands, or buts. (After that sentence, I don’t care about apostrophes anymore.
What is an example of divine command theory?
Answer Wiki. Divine command theory allows manipulative people to command people to do their will in the name of God, thus using religion to advance their own personal or political agenda. Examples of this manipulation in history abound, from Muhammed to Hitler.
Is the divine command theory deontological?
The Divine Command Theory is a form of deontology because, according to it, the rightness of any action depends upon that action being performed because it is a duty, not because of any good consequences arising from that action.