PHIL 1550 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Moral Authority, Human Nature, Divine Command Theory

• School: Carleton University
• Department: Philosophy
• Course: PHIL 1550
• Professor: Nalini E Ramlakhan

Document Summary

We lack the authority to make moral law because we have a limited understanding of right/wrong, and we also make mistakes. A morality based on these limitations and mistakes wouldn"t actually be moral at all. If humans cannot be the author of the moral law, then god is its author. If god lacks reasons for his commands, then god"s commands are arbitrary and that renders god imperfect, undermining his moral authority. If god has reasons that support his commands, then these reasons, rather than the divine commands, are what make actions right or wrong thereby refuting the divine command. Theory: therefore, either god is imperfect, or the dct is false, god is not imperfect, therefore, the dct is false, even if god does exist, dct is false, the divine perfection argument. Still the possibility that god just doesn"t command us to do anything: selecting a scripture.