Single Idea 6892

[catalogued under 28. God / A. Divine Nature / 6. Divine Morality / b. Euthyphro question]

Full Idea

In the Prolegomena to his work there is a famous statement that moral principles laid down in the work would have some degree of validity even if there was no God commanding obedience.

Gist of Idea

Moral principles have some validity without a God commanding obedience

Source

report of Hugo Grotius (On the Law of War and Peace [1625]) by Thomas Mautner - Penguin Dictionary of Philosophy p.229

Book Reference

Mautner,Thomas: 'Dictionary of Philosophy' [Penguin 1997], p.229


A Reaction

I am not clear why Grotius felt obliged to qualify his claim with the phrase 'some degree'. I don't see how God's command can affect the 'validity' of morality, or how there can be a middle ground between dependence on and independence of God.