PHI2600 HW4 Chpts 5 & 9 Divine Command & Natural Law
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Feb 20, 2024
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HW - Divine Command Theory & Natural Law Theory
ETHICS HW on Divine Command Theory
and Civil Religion & Natural Law Theory
Choose one of the following questions (A or B) and respond to it briefly.
A)
Ask someone a philosophical question
. a.
What did you ask? Can a morally good person have a weak justification?
b.
How did they respond?
This person responded that they did consider that people could be morally good and have weak justification because people may allow themselves to be influenced by external factors in their actions and not from their internal knowledge, which does not allow for the use of reasoning and triggers weak justifications. According to the person this can also be seen in the opposite light, that is, a morally bad person who has weak justifications. However, it is through this method that humans are fooled and they end up acting on what others tell us without rethinking or justifying their actions.
c.
What happened next?
Through the question we continued our conversation about the question, covering and relating examples in our lives in which we saw ourselves
faced with people who possessed these characteristics, we commented on how these people seemed to us, and if in any case, we had seen ourselves with these characteristics. It was a very impressive and interesting conversation.
B)
Look at something in a new way (maybe through the lens of a philosopher or a topic in our class).
a.
What did you look at?
b.
What was new about the way you looked at it?
1)
(Recap) Respond to at least one of the following questions:
a)
What is a specific question
(related to our class) that stands out to you at the moment (from class, the reading, etc.)? Why does it stand out?
I must confess that the question that stood out the most to me was the one I asked previously to a known person, "Can a morally good person have a weak justification?" This question allowed me to reflect on many situations in my life in which I have faced both people who are very good but whose justifications are not and the opposite. This also allowed me to think about whether a justification is necessary when acting, why we cannot simply be innately good morals and without the need to complicate our situations, but I understood that whenever we act morally well there is truly a strong justification that comes from inside our minds.
b)
What statement
, made by another student, stands out to you at the moment? Why does it stand out?
In conversations with my classmate, when analyzing the questions proposed in class, for the first time we did not agree on answers to the question "Can you be in multiple stages of moral development at the same time?" For me, the answer was no, but my partner suggested that basically yes in the sense that as we go through each of the stages, we acquire lessons from each of them and as we progress we decide whether or not to practice them in our lives.
c)
What is one concept
on which you gained clarity in our most recent class? What is one concept that is still unclear for you, and how can you go about clarifying it?
I completely understood utilitarianism and deontology beyond their meanings but their applications and sense in our lives. Regarding deontology specifically, how Kant carried out his philosophical research process, grouped his previously analyzed theories, and taught one of the most strengthened theories about moral behavior and how its practice should be.
2)
As you read through these topics, think about where Divine Command
and Natural Law Theory
would be placed on the moral development scale. Explain where each would go and WHY it would go there.
I consider that divine command, when limited to the actions and desires of God, must be located at the conventional level of moral development since people who are guided by this theory limit their development to what is said by a religious community or in this case God not opening their minds to their own reflections. On the other hand, I would place the natural law theory in the post-conventional stage because it confers that human beings have innate and intrinsic qualities that form our character, thinking, behavior, and personality which are demonstrated in our daily living and acting with the intention of universal demonstration.
3)
Respond to the following question (found in the exercises in the chapter):
“How have your religious beliefs, or lack thereof, shaped your morality? Is there a difference between religious and secular morality in your life? If so, what are the differences? If there are differences, how do you resolve a conflict between religious and secular morality
?” (Challenge: Even more important: How would you resolve a conflict between religious and universal
morality?)
I consider that my beliefs are a large part of my personality and therefore my morality, despite my innate qualities, my beliefs have given me other qualities that
over the years I have acquired and developed with the intention of being a good person who benefits society. It should be noted that according to the definition of the text on religion, I do not consider my morality to be related to religion as an institution but to spirituality. For me, there is a difference between religious ©Kimber 2023
and secular morality. Growing up in the Catholic religion, I was educated about the Church, the Bible, and other sacraments or aspects directed to it; however, with the passing of the years and some questionable situations, I understood that any church or religious institution is made up of humans who make mistakes and it is in this way that my faith and my spirituality are placed in an indescribable higher entity named for me God, not on an entity, who, through his perfection, provide us with protection, teachings, and moral qualities that human beings cannot create or transmit but we can demonstrate.
4)
In your experience, does religious morality tend to promote universal moral principles (like life, autonomy, liberty, pleasure/no-harm, justice, and Humanity – for all people / beings) or does it sometimes promote the violation of these principles? Provide a specific example if possible. I believe that religious morality tends to promote both moral principles and the violation of them, that is, the majority of popular religions known in the world ensure the protection of moral principles in addition to providing different virtues that other minor religions do not. They do and rather their main objective is to cause damage through selfishness, hatred, and revenge, among others. For example, for the Nazis their god was Hitler and for him, their greatest desire was the extermination of the Jews, therefore people blindly and without questioning their opinions followed this ideal of Jewish elimination, killing a large part of this religious community without a valid reason violating the all the moral principles. 5)
In your own words, define religion
.
For me, religion is a large group of entities that wish to proclaim ideals through distinctive qualities or behaviors with the same purpose, to venerate a god who for each community adopts a different name in conjunction with his appearance and history but not his transformative intention. I also consider that religion is a
place of support for many people who find themselves lost or sheltered in the company of people who share preferences. However, I consider that religion is a derivation of spirituality, which for me is the concept that has value since it is through this that it is possible to maintain contact with the indescribable, wise, and healing of the universe.
6)
Respond to this question posed by Boss in the chapter:
“How should we respond if someone claims that they are acting on divine command
? Should we simply accept their word for it?” a.
S
tate:
Provide your initial, brief response. Yes, a person with good moral values must listen to and treat others in a good way even if they do not agree with the position that other people take. Likewise, acting or not acting in divine command is not relevant to recognizing that we are all human beings who live in a community and who must respect each other.
b.
E
laborate
: “In other words…”
Preferences in each person's view of morality must be respected and recognized. Tastes are not relevant to determining how a person should be treated since they can offer great lessons. So, if for a person there are moral obligations with God, which we personally do not consider true, we must still treat them well and listen to them.
c.
E
xemplify
: “For example…” My qualities allow me to recognize that there are differences between people's beliefs, therefore it is my duty to act morally well, giving them respect.
7)
Respond to this question posed by Boss in the chapter:
“Discuss what, if anything would be different about your moral beliefs and behavior if God did not exist.” AND, what would be different about the morality of most people if it was somehow proven that God did not exist?
I believe that certain factors in our behavior and beliefs would be lost if God did not exist, more towards the mysterious and unexplainable than towards what comprises our personality. However, I feel that we as rational beings would look for strategies to describe the indescribable in another way. Additionally, I think that since God does not exist, our morality would be focused clearly on our identity, and thus we would also seek to be good to ourselves and relate to others in a good way, complying with moral principles.
For me, belief or non-belief in God does not make a person good, but what does are one’s actions and behaviors in society.
4)
(Challenge) In the Euthyphro
dialogue, written by Plato, Socrates asked, “Do the gods love holiness because it is holy, or is it holy because the gods love it?” (In other words, “Do the gods love something because
it is good
, OR is something good
because
the gods love it?) Rephrase this question in your own words. Then attempt to explain the significance
of Socrates’ question. (Hint: There’s a BIG difference between the two ideas he mentions and it has to do with the order of the premise and conclusion.) Are things good because the majority say they are, or because they have been proven good?
This phrase develops the significance of considering whether something is good or bad because it really is or because God tells us it is. I believe that this phrase motivates and encourages us to think beyond what religions promote, to truly consider whether something provides benefits to the world.
©Kimber 2023
5)
Provide an example of an issue for which you would participate in an act of civil disobedience
.
I would participate in an act of civil disobedience for the protection of the environment and planet Earth, support for gun control laws, and student debt forgiveness.
a)
In this example, do you think that you would be justified
in breaking the conventional law? Explain using terms/concepts from the chapter (or from previous chapters --- think about the difference between strong and weak justification).
I consider that my opinion is justified since I have reasons why I wish not to support the decision-making that is being carried out by the government. Likewise, my justification is supported by the protection that it entails for moral principles and virtues. It should be noted that my intention is not to infringe or attack any of the moral principles, but rather to try a different mechanism of public communication. A weak justification would be directed to the non-interest of the cause of civil disobedience and only the interest of generating disorder and chaos in society.
6)
Select one of the chapter sections in the chapter on Divine Command Theory and Civil Religion
. Write a statement or question that captures your understanding of the significance
of this section as it relates to whole chapter. Use an example
or create an analogy
to elaborate upon your initial statement/question.
“The Good consists in always doing what God wills at any particular moment” Emil Brunner (Fragment). I consider that this statement encompasses what the Divine Command Theory and Civil Religion expose since for religions everything that a superior being proposes must be followed. For example, according to the Catholic religion, the greatest purpose is to be a good person and act well by professing the teachings of the Bible. According to this theory, the existence of God
is eternal, therefore, compliance with these "norms" that people wish to acquire must be fulfilled at all times. In addition, the same must happen with the other religions that confer your soul and act on the word of your God, because you are considered the perfect being.
7)
Select one of the chapter sections in the chapter on Natural Law Theory
. Write a statement or question that captures your understanding of the significance
of this section as it relates to whole chapter. Use an example
or create an analogy
to elaborate upon your initial statement/question.
My attention is drawn to the chapter on Thomas Aquinas: Catholic Natural Law Ethics, and his proposition that we function best as humans when we are perfecting our human capacities, reason being the highest and most important of these capacities. Considering what Thomas Aquinas proposed, I believe that his religious relationship is not exclusive to his thought but rather he truly proposes that we can and should universally behave morally well since the work of our personality manages to allow it at all times, rather not exclusively to a person or reason.
8)
(Challenge & Optional) Are there any contemporary ethical issues (from recent news) that can be analyzed or evaluated using your understanding of divine command theory and natural law theory? a)
Briefly describe the contemporary ethical issue or example):
Corruption is a phenomenon that has been growing like a snowball, weakening all global social, political, and judicial systems, wreaking havoc on each individual such as poverty, development, and investment. However, the most concerning thing is that it is being normalized and adjusted to our daily lives, decreasing the trust of everyone in each of the institutions that govern society.
b)
Explain the question
, problem or issue AS a MORAL Issue or Dilemma:
“Is it morally acceptable to ______________.” It is not morally acceptable, corruption is the abuse of power for personal benefit because it takes away from individuals what corresponds to them, laws are broken (Natural Law Theory), and depart from ethical and Divine principles ( Divine Command Theory) such as not stealing or lying. An individual or a group of individuals distort the established laws, deteriorating trust in these laws, creating skepticism, and becoming cynical towards the state and the laws, making honesty something not essential to living in society.
i)
NOW
:
Clarify your initial response by explaining exactly what makes this a moral issue or a moral dilemma
. That is, explain which universal moral principles
are at stake. Underline the universal moral principles in your reply.
The fact that makes corruption a moral dilemma is that in itself it affects monetary justice
but from this, it derives problems in general with all the universal moral principles (Life, Liberty, Autonomy, Pleasure/Nonmaleficence, and Humanity
)
c)
Analyze and interpret
relevant information (facts and details).
Universal moral principles dictate that each individual must be responsible for each of their actions and for the decisions they make without affecting others and that are not for their own benefit. Being corrupt in any act or area of life, whether a minor or major act, greatly affects the individual, family, and society causing problems such as poverty, monetary costs, subdevelopment, investment loss, and weakens trust in the judicial and political systems.
d)
Evaluate
the issue to determine possible conclusions
(in this case, try to evaluate the issue through – the lenses of divine command theory and natural law theory by explaining how each theory would interpret the information uncovered in your analysis. It may then be helpful to use one of the other theories we’ve discussed for additional elaboration and perspective.).
In the commands of God or Divine commands (according to the Divine Theory), there must be human relationships and harmony between humans, nature,
and the divine, but now when Man accepted the practice of irresponsibility, lying, and dishonesty, corruption was justified. Corrupt individuals reduce the freedom of others because they make them serve them to fulfill their desires. Although the Divine Command Theory presents difficulties because it dictates that morally correct actions follow divine commands and morally incorrect actions that God prohibits, it shows that what is morally good or bad does not depend on a religious vision, because religion and Morals are independent and religious principles do not offer solutions and questions to the ©Kimber 2023
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problems that arise, in addition, some consider that people who do not have any religious beliefs do not have correct moral behavior. The theory of the Divine Mandate does not provide a solution to moral problems, because there are no specific solutions to current moral problems since the documents or books on which it is based have been written more than 20 centuries ago. In today's world, the situations that arise are significantly different from those that existed in the past, and which do not provide answers to moral dilemmas, but do lend themselves to interpretation, leading to different conclusions without being able to arrive at an objective moral response.
e)
Generate
your own well-reasoned conclusion
to the question that is supported by your evaluation and analysis.
The theory proposes the existence of God and requires obeying divine law, but what about those who do not believe in any divinity, what are they subject to? Are they amoral, are they unethical? What happens when the institutions that promulgate the theories of divine law are shown to be corrupt over the years?
I would believe that this Law should be reconsidered due to the principles on which it is based, because the concept of God or Divinity has been continually reconsidered, modifying many principles that were subjective interpretations of some of its thinkers and that currently do not fit society. Even so, the truth is that the bases of this theory have served to create awareness of what is good or evil for each individual and are necessary for the existence of moral truths.
©Kimber 2023