Chapter Eleven:Chapter Eleven:Religion and EthicsReligion and Ethics

Religion has profoundly affected human conscious life and moral behavior for over two

thousand years.

For Western Civilization, Morality has been identified with adherence to religion.

Religion and EthicsReligion and Ethics

•To act immorally has been seen as essentially disobeying God.

•Religion has dominated the moral landscape to appear to be indistinguishable from morality.

•Most people identify morality with religion.

Exceptions:Exceptions:

•Confucianism: Essentially a secular system of ethics

•Non-theist Buddhism: Also, a secular system of ethics.

The Divine Command TheoryThe Divine Command Theory

•Ethical principles are simply the commands of God.

•They derive their validity from God commanding them.

•Without God there would be no universally valid morality.

Problems with the Divine Problems with the Divine Command TheoryCommand Theory

•Seems to make the attribution of “goodness” to God redundant

•Seems to make morality into something arbitrary

Independence ThesisIndependence Thesis

•Opposed to the Divine Command Theory

•Denies the thesis of the Divine Command Theory

•Claims that morality does not originate with God

•Rightness and Wrongness are not dependent on God’s Will

•There are independent ways to act

Kant: God Makes Morality Kant: God Makes Morality PossiblePossible

•Kant claimed that both humans and God must obey the same rational principles

•Being moral is our duty to God

•We ought to be moral, which means we can be moral and therefore, we are able to reach moral perfection, but being imperfect beings, it will not occur in this lifetime.

Is Religion Irrelevant or Even Is Religion Irrelevant or Even Contrary to Morality?Contrary to Morality?

•Russell: Religion Irrelevant to Morality

•Hume: The Immorality of God and Religion

•Nowell-Smith and Rachels: Religion Conflicts with Moral Autonomy

Does Religion EnhanceDoes Religion EnhanceThe Moral Life?The Moral Life?

•If there is a God, good will win out over evil.

•If God exists, then cosmic justice reigns in the universe.

•If Theism is true, moral reasons always override nonmoral reasons.

•If Theism is true, then there is a God who loves and cares for us

Does Religion EnhanceDoes Religion EnhanceThe Moral Life?The Moral Life?

•If there is a God who created us in his image, all persons are of equal worth.

•If God exists, we have a compelling solution to the posterity problem.

The Case against ReligionThe Case against Religion•A lot of evil has been done by religious people in the name of religion

•We don't know for sure whether a benevolent God exists

•Religious morality closes off dialogue

•Religious morality leads to group intolerance

•Religious morality threatens church-state separation