Moral Argument

Definition

The moral argument, also known as the argument from morality, is a philosophical argument that attempts to prove the existence of God based on the existence of objective moral values and duties. It posits that objective moral truths cannot be accounted for without the existence of a divine lawgiver or moral authority.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The moral argument suggests that the existence of objective moral values and duties points to the existence of a divine lawgiver or moral authority, typically identified as God.
2. Proponents of the moral argument argue that without God, there is no objective foundation for morality, and moral values and duties would be merely subjective or relative.
3. The moral argument is often used in the context of discussions about the existence of God, particularly in the field of philosophy of religion and apologetics.
4. Critics of the moral argument argue that objective moral values and duties can be accounted for without the existence of God, such as through moral realism or other philosophical frameworks.
5. The moral argument is one of several classical arguments for the existence of God, along with the cosmological argument, the teleological argument, and the ontological argument.

Review Questions

• Explain the key premise of the moral argument for the existence of God.
  • The key premise of the moral argument is that objective moral values and duties exist. Proponents of the argument claim that these objective moral truths cannot be accounted for without the existence of a divine lawgiver or moral authority, typically identified as God. The argument suggests that if objective morality exists, then God must also exist as the source and foundation of these moral facts.
• Describe how the moral argument connects the existence of objective moral values and duties to the existence of God.
  • The moral argument posits that if objective moral values and duties exist, then there must be a divine lawgiver or moral authority that grounds and upholds these moral facts. The reasoning is that without God, moral values and duties would be merely subjective or relative, rather than universally binding. By arguing that objective morality requires a divine source, the moral argument attempts to establish the existence of God as the necessary foundation for objective moral reality.
• Evaluate the potential weaknesses of the moral argument and discuss alternative philosophical frameworks that could account for objective moral values and duties without the existence of God.
  • Critics of the moral argument argue that objective moral values and duties can be accounted for without the existence of God, such as through moral realism or other philosophical frameworks. Moral realists, for example, believe that moral facts and properties exist independently of what any individual or culture believes, similar to the way that scientific facts exist independently of beliefs. Additionally, some philosophers have proposed alternative metaethical theories, such as contractualism or virtue ethics, which can ground objective morality without appealing to a divine lawgiver. These alternative frameworks suggest that the moral argument does not necessarily establish the existence of God as the only possible foundation for objective moral reality.

Related terms

Objective Moral Values: Moral values that are independent of individual or cultural beliefs, and are considered universally binding and true.

Moral Realism: The view that moral facts and properties exist independently of what any individual or culture believes, similar to the way that scientific facts exist independently of beliefs.

Divine Command Theory: The view that moral facts and duties are grounded in the commands or nature of God, and that what is morally right is determined by what God has commanded.