Overview
This lecture discusses the Euthyphro Dilemma, its origins in Plato's dialogues, and its implications for Divine Command Theory and the relationship between morality and religion.
Background: The Euthyphro Dialogue
- Socrates questioned Euthyphro, a religious teacher, about the nature of piety (goodness).
- The encounter took place while Socrates faced accusations of impiety in Athens around 460 BC.
- Euthyphro was prosecuting his own father, which led Socrates to challenge his certainty about moral knowledge.
The Euthyphro Dilemma
- Socrates asks if something is pious (good) because the gods love it, or do the gods love it because it is pious.
- Restated: Are things good because God commands them, or does God command them because they are good?
- This question challenges the source and objectivity of morality.
Divine Command Theory (DCT)
- Divine Command Theory holds that actions are good because God commands them.
- If true, any act (even murder or torture) could be deemed good if God commands it.
- Critics argue this makes morality arbitrary and dependent on God's will alone.
Implications and Problems
- If morality is separate from God, then morality does not depend on God or the gods.
- If morality depends solely on God, then it is subjective and could change with God's commands.
- The dilemma questions whether religion is necessary for objective morality.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Euthyphro Dilemma — The question of whether moral value is commanded by God or independent of God.
- Divine Command Theory — The theory that moral rightness is determined by God's commands.
- Piety — In this context, moral or religious goodness.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Consider which philosophers or theories you want to learn about next.
- Reflect on your own view of the relationship between morality and religion.