Richard Dawkins and Moral Realism
Christian apologists who love to substitute quote-mining for actual argumentation are fond of quotations like the following, in order to conclude that atheism somehow undermines morality. In a universe of blind physical forces and genetic replication, some people are going to get hurt, and other people are going to get lucky; and you won’t find … Richard Dawkins and Moral Realism
Does anything really matter?
Does anything really matter? Some people say no. Such people are proponents of nihilism, the view according to which nothing matters. According to nihilists, there is no reason to care about anything whatsoever. Nihilists do not deny that people care about things, they claim only that there is no reason to care about anything. Other … Does anything really matter?
What could God’s commands do for morality?
Consider the following version of divine command metaethics (DCM): Our moral obligations are constituted by divine commands. In particular, F is morally obligatory = God has commanded that we F F is morally wrong = God has commanded that we not F F is morally permissible = God has neither commanded that we F nor … What could God’s commands do for morality?
Link: “Slavery, Southern Conservatism, and Darwinian Natural Right” by Larry Arnhart
“Some of the opponents of Darwinian moral naturalism insist that morality requires a transcendent source in religious belief. But in this debate over slavery, we see that such religious belief–at least as coming from Biblical revelation–does not provide us reliable moral guidance. Cobb was able to show that the Bible–both the Old Testament and the … Link: “Slavery, Southern Conservatism, and Darwinian Natural Right” by Larry Arnhart
Does Atheism Undercut the Case for Equal Human Rights?
Philosopher Victor Reppert thinks so. I’m not certain, but I think his argument for this claim is supposed to be found in an earlier post of his. At the same time, Reppert, like the overwhelming majority of theists who write about such topics, completely glosses over what atheist intellectuals who specialize in the topic have … Does Atheism Undercut the Case for Equal Human Rights?
Why the moral argument fails
Of all the arguments for the existence of God, there is one argument (or one style of argument) that I have never had any sympathy with and never understood why anyone has any sympathy with, and that is the moral argument. It seems to me and has pretty much always seemed to me (at least … Why the moral argument fails
God’s nature does not make his commands non-arbitrary
Many modern defenders of the divine command theory frequently claim that God’s commands are not arbitrary because they flow from his essential nature. Their argument is bad. That a commander issues consistent commands based on his/her own character does not mean that those commands are not arbitrary. Whether a command is arbitrary depends on whether … God’s nature does not make his commands non-arbitrary
Quibbling over Semantics While Missing the Point
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I’m a linguistic relativist. I don’t think words have objective meanings. I think the meaning of words is relative to time and place. So when I encounter someone who is adamant about defining a word in a different way than I do, I just shrug my … Quibbling over Semantics While Missing the Point
LINK: “Ethics and Evolutionary Theory” by Erik J. Wielenberg
I haven’t read this, but I’m posting the link because (1) I respect the author; and (2) I think the topic will of interest to many of our readers. LINK (Note: this article is behind a paywall) Reminder/Disclaimer: Posting links does not necessarily constitute endorsement.
Are Atheism and Moral Realism Logically Incompatible?
I am a regular reader of Victor Reppert’s blog, Dangerous Idea. In the combox for one of his recent posts, Steve Hays claimed that atheism and moral realism are logically incompatible. I wrote a lengthy reply to Hays in the combox and have decided to republish it here. Before I republish my comments, I will make one … Are Atheism and Moral Realism Logically Incompatible?