Philosophy

Philosophy Study Guide

©2018 of 126 Rachels then proceeds to discuss ethical egoism, which is the theory that we ought to pursue our own self-interest and that the ethical egoist believe that pursuing one’s self-interest is a universal moral value and believe that as long as everyone follows the principles of rationality, that conflicts in self- interest will work themselves out in a harmonious fashion. Rachels disapproves of the ethical egoism by his statement, “Indeed, a man without any sympathy at all would scarcely be recognizable as a man.” What he states is that the belief of this theory is the central purpose of government is to protect each individual’s right to personal liberty in a way that does not infringe on others. Rachels states that the ethical egoist are simply stating that they have no affection for friends or family, that they never feel pity or compassion, that they are the sort of person who can look at scenes of human misery with complete indifference, so long as they are not the one suffering. Rachels states that this theory if inhumane. 8.9 Religion and Universal Values The relationship between religion and morality is a natural one for multiple reasons, such as the core purpose of many religions is to serve as a means to achieve ultimate spiritual transformation and the way we live our lives becomes as vehicle for achieving ultimate spiritual transformation, and our religion provides us with the ethical roadmap. Religion provides a metaphysical grounding for morality if an ethical system is grounded in a supernatural creator or what is thought to be a fundamental principle of the universe, then the ethical system speaks with authority. God endorses these principles and removes moral values from the level of human-to-human debate and raises it to a spiritual level. 8.10 Divine Command Theory The Divine Command Theory is the view that we act morally when we do what God commands of us. In Plato’s dialogue, the Euthyphro , he poses the question “Is a moral value good or right because God commands it to be so, or is the moral value good or right independently of God’s commands?” In the Divine Command Theory, what is morally right and good (or wrong and evil), is defined simply by God’s will. Our independent moral sense of right and wrong, good and bad, is irrelevant. Divine commands are not intended to be questioned, critically evaluated, or negotiated by the audience for whom they are intended. The commands are intended to be obeyed. Some examples of divine commands is the Old Testament from the Bible and the Qur’an. Once critical judgment is suspended, there is danger of individuals becoming vulnerable to manipulative leaders claiming to be following God’s commands, as we see in the case of cults in which people lose their autonomy and sometimes their lives. On a social level, the belief that it is our spiritual responsibility to suspend out intellectual independence and follow those who claim to interpret divine commands can lead to bloody and destructive wars and persecutions. Many individuals and groups set their moral and ethical compass by a specific religious doctrine, in what is known as the Divine Command Theory. Such people believe that what is morally right or wrong is determined by whatever god(s) they Achieve Page 89