Question

Carefully explain the Divine Command Theory, with examples. Explain two weaknesses of the theory, as well as an account of how and whether or not these weaknesses can be addressed. Ultimately, is the divine command theory a viable account of the nature of right and wrong? Why or why not?

Answer 1

The Divine Command Theory is the theory that the rightness or wrongness of an action is intrinsically relatedto the fact that God either commands it or forbids it. ( Lawhead, 2014, p. 410) An example is stealing is a wrong because under Catholicism it is one of God's ten commandments that we should not steal.In response, divine command theorists have argued that they can still make sense of God's goodness, by pointing out that he possesses traits which are good as distinguished from being morally obligatory. For example, God may be disposed to love human beings, treat them with compassion, and deal with them fairly.Other criticisms of divine command theory include: Religious scriptures are generally ancient and are hard to interpret against the complexities of today's society. As a result, religion as an ethical system does not provide specific ethical guidance to specific ethical dilemmas.