Moral laws require a law giver god divine command

Moral laws require a law-giver — God
• “ Divine Command Theory” (DCT)— Morality is created by God:
An act is morally required just because it is commanded by God
and an act is immoral just because God forbids it
• Question: Does God command actions because they are morally right,
or are actions morally right because God commands them?
• This is a version of the “ Euthyphro Problem”

Against Moral laws require a law-giver — God
(1) If actions are morally right because God commands them, then God
creates morality (DCT)
(2) If God commands actions because they are morally right, then God
relies on an already existing morality in issuing commands
• We have strong reasons for preferring (2) over (1)
• On (1) God does not permit or forbid actions because they are right
or wrong — there is no right or wrong until the command is made
• But then the commands are arbitrary
• And if God’s commands are arbitrary, then God is imperfect

Against Moral laws require a law-giver
(1) Either God has reasons for His commands or God lacks reasons for His
commands (DCT)
(2) Suppose that God lacks reasons for His commands
(3) Assuming (2), God’s commands are arbitrary
(4) If God’s commands are arbitrary, then God is imperfect
(5) Suppose that God has reasons for His commands
(6) Assuming (5) then it is the reasons and not the commands that explain why
actions are right and wrong
(7) If the reasons and not the commands explain why actions are right and
wrong, then Divine Command Theory is false
(8) So either God is imperfect or the Divine Command Theory is false
(9) It is not the case that God is imperfect
(10)Therefore, the Divine Command Theory is false

Moral laws require a law-giver — God
• If God’s commands are supported by reasons, and the reasons explain
the rightness and wrongness of actions, then the absence of God
does not entail an absence of morality
• “God is not needed to create the moral law; indeed a perfect God is
one who fully understands, embraces, and adheres to a moral law not
of his own making” (65).
• So the argument we opened with is mistaken

Religion is required for moral guidance
• If the last section is right and God is not the creator of morality, is it
even possible for religion to provide moral guidance?
• Yes — even if God is not the author of the moral law, if God exists then
he perfectly understands an existing moral law
• In that case, God’s commands would perfectly match an existing
moral law
• Even if we reject DCT it may still be the case that an act is morally
required if God permits it and is immoral if God forbids it
• Does that make any sense?