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Single Idea 8010
[filed under theme 28. God / A. Divine Nature / 6. Divine Morality / d. God decrees morality
]
Full Idea
The most notable philosopher who makes God's commandment the basis of goodness, rather than God's goodness a reason for obeying him, is William of Occam.
Gist of Idea
William of Ockham is the main spokesman for God's commands being the source of morality
Source
William of Ockham (works [1335]), quoted by Alasdair MacIntyre - A Short History of Ethics Ch.9
Book Ref
MacIntyre,Alasdair: 'A Short History of Ethics' [Routledge 1967], p.119
A Reaction
Either view has problems. Why choose God to obey? Obey anyone who is powerful? But how do you decide that God is good? How do we know the nature of God's commands, or the nature of God's goodness? Etc.
The
16 ideas
with the same theme
[God as the authority behind morality]:
8004
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In 'The Laws', to obey the law is to be obey god
[Plato, by MacIntyre]
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3042
|
Stoics teach that law is identical with right reason, which is the will of Zeus
[Chrysippus, by Diog. Laertius]
|
5965
|
The source of all justice is Zeus and the universal nature
[Chrysippus]
|
2651
|
God doesn't obey the laws of nature; they are subject to the law of God
[Cicero]
|
8010
|
William of Ockham is the main spokesman for God's commands being the source of morality
[William of Ockham]
|
3637
|
Ideas in God's mind only have value if he makes it so
[Descartes]
|
6223
|
If the will and pleasure of God controls justice, then anything wicked or unjust would become good if God commanded it
[Cudworth]
|
6226
|
The requirement that God must be obeyed must precede any authority of God's commands
[Cudworth]
|
12570
|
The finite and dependent should obey the supreme and infinite
[Locke]
|
6249
|
If goodness is constituted by God's will, it is a tautology to say God's will is good
[Hutcheson]
|
7577
|
Abraham was willing to suspend ethics, for a higher idea
[Kierkegaard]
|
7162
|
Morality can only be upheld by belief in God and a 'hereafter'
[Nietzsche]
|
4502
|
Morality cannot survive when the God who sanctions it is missing
[Nietzsche]
|
3845
|
Without God there is no intelligibility or value
[Sartre]
|
4009
|
Nominalists defended the sovereignty of God against the idea of natural existing good and evil
[Taylor,C]
|
20703
|
How could God have obligations? What law could possibly impose them?
[Davies,B]
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