Question

What is meant by "divine command theory"? Is divine command theory an objective ethical theory or a relativistic one? Finally, how does Plato's dialogue, the Euthyphro, pose a challenege to the divine comand theory? Can this challenege be overcome?

SUBJECT: PHILOSOPHY

Answer 1

Note: This response is in UK English, please paste the response to MS Word and you should be able to spot discrepancies easily. You may elaborate the answer based on personal views or your classwork if necessary.

(Answer) Divine command theory is basically that the paradigm for the goodness of an action is determined based on whether or not it is commanded by God. For instance, if God says, “Thou shalt not kill” and one doesn’t commit murder, then that action is moral based on the divine command.

If one considers a “divine command” in the context of a single religion, it might be objective. However, since there are several religions in the world and some have different rules from the other, it can be noticed that this leaves room for relativity. What is right is one religion is relative to what is right in another religion.

The challenges in Plato’s dialogue on the subject of “divine command” is that if moral law is a command of God, then the focus isn’t on the morality of the law but of the command of God. Secondly, Plato also asks the question that is it moral because God commands it or does God command it because it is moral?

These questions basically aim to separate the notion of God and the notion of morality. Since these laws are written by man, it can be assumed that God is merely an incentive and not the source of the commandment itself. This would mean that the divine law by itself is just like any other ethical code that stems from what one’s conscience tells them is good.

The texts in Euthyphro do not demean God or morality, rather it aims to make the reader understand that God and moral laws are separate concepts and do not share the relationship of commander and command. The dialogue points out that God and morality share the relationship of action and reward. In this case, morality is the action and heaven is the reward.