re DCT - challenges

Strengths of DCT

• fits the idea of god being omnipotent- divine soverignty
• fits the idea of god being a creator - christian view
• its an objective moral system not based on human emotions and consequences.
• its universilasable
• empasises virtue of obedience - christians "slaves of christ"- see obedience as good.
• immanuel kant- morality makes it reasonable to believe in god- morality points towards god.

Problems with DCT

• if humans follow god commands out if fear they are acting out of self preservation rather than morality- KANT argues fear of punishment shouldnt be motivation for moral goodness.
• dct assumes god exits and gives commands- hard to believe for non-religious
• problems trying to find out what gods commands actually are.
• A.J. Ayer-commanding something doesnt make it right-"no morality can be founded on authority, even if the authority were divine"
• if the bible is the word of god- everyone interprets it differently.

CHALLENGES

EMPTINESS PROBLEM

• DCT analysis of moral goodness- statements like god is good are tautologies.

PROBLEM OF ABHORRENT COMMANDS

• DCT appears to entail that if god were to command malicious, evil wanton cruelty then those acts would become morally good.

MORALITY AS ARBITARY

• DCT appears to render the content of morality arbitary- if DCT is true then what is good or…