A Primer in Religion and Morality
My recent interview for the Atheistically Speaking podcast inspired me to compile this quick primer in religion and morality, in order to help clarify the many different concepts at play when we talk about morality with and without God. I consider this a work-in-progress so any constructive criticism would be appreciated. Update (5 May 2015): I have revised … A Primer in Religion and Morality
Some Thoughts on Naturalism and Morality
It is supposed, by some, to be difficult for naturalism to account for moral properties (both axiological properties like goodness and badness and deontic properties like rightness and wrongness). William Lane Craig and Paul Copan, have each argued incessantly that naturalism cannot account for moral properties. Craig has offered the following argument: This argument has … Some Thoughts on Naturalism and Morality
What Explains God’s Moral Grounding Power? Part II
In an earlier article, I wrote about a question for divine command metaethics, a question that I called the Moral Grounding Question. Moral Grounding Question (MGQ): In virtue of what do God’s commands ground moral obligations? (or, in virtue of what does God have MG-power?) In that previous post, I explained the moral grounding question … What Explains God’s Moral Grounding Power? Part II
Naturalism, Theism, and Moral Ontology: A Reply to William Lane Craig
Abstract: This paper considers William Lane Craig’s metaethical argument for God’s existence. Roughly, the argument is that the existence of objective moral values provides strong evidence for God’s existence. I consider one by one Craig’s various reasons in support of the argument’s major premise, namely, that objective moral values and the nonexistence of God are at … Naturalism, Theism, and Moral Ontology: A Reply to William Lane Craig
G&T Rebuttal, Part 6: Chapter 7
Chapter 7. Mother Theresa vs. Hitler In this chapter, G&T present a version of the moral argument for God’s existence which I call the “Moral Laws Require a Moral Lawgiver Argument,” which they formulate as follows. Like the earlier arguments, this argument is deductively valid. Like the earlier chapters about this argument, I plan to … G&T Rebuttal, Part 6: Chapter 7
What Explains God’s Moral Grounding Power? A Problem for Divine Command Ethics
The Divine Command Theory says that God possesses the power to ground or create moral obligations. Let’s call this power, in virtue of which God’s commands ground moral obligations, ‘moral grounding power’ (MG-power). Moral Grounding Power (MG-power): Being B has MG-power if and only if the commands of B ground moral obligations I want to … What Explains God’s Moral Grounding Power? A Problem for Divine Command Ethics
More on the Arbitrariness Objection to the Divine Command Theory
I’ve been carrying on a conversation with Matthew Flannagan about the arbitrariness objection to the divine command theory. You can find my first post on the issue here and Matt’s response here. In this post I am going to continue my defense, against Flannagan’s objections, of the arbitrariness argument (AA): A very brief summary of … More on the Arbitrariness Objection to the Divine Command Theory
Quentin Smith on Bertrand Russell on “Unyielding Despair” and the Meaning of Life
In his essay, “A Free Man’s Worship,” Bertrand Russell writes: Such, in outline, but even more purposeless, more void of meaning, is the world which Science presents for our belief. Amid such a world, if anywhere, our ideals henceforward must find a home. That man is the product of causes which had no prevision of … Quentin Smith on Bertrand Russell on “Unyielding Despair” and the Meaning of Life
Important New (Advanced but) Must-Read Book on Ethics without God by Erik Wielenberg
Oxford University Press has just published the latest book by Erik Wielenberg, entitled Robust Ethics: The Metaphysics and Epistemology of Godless Normative Realism. Those of you who are regular readers of this blog know that I am a big fan of Wielenberg’s work; his previous books include Value and Virtue in a Godless Universe (Cambridge … Important New (Advanced but) Must-Read Book on Ethics without God by Erik Wielenberg
Matthew Flannagan on The Arbitrariness Objection to Divine Command Ethics
There is a standard objection to the divine command theory (DCT) that runs as follows: I’ll call this the Arbitrariness Argument (AA). You can find versions of this argument in Walter Sinnot-Armstrong’s book Morality Without God? and in his article “Why Traditional Theism Cannot Provide an Adequate Foundation for Morality.” Here is a quote from the latter: … Matthew Flannagan on The Arbitrariness Objection to Divine Command Ethics