Knowra Divine command theory Divine command theory Divine command theory holds that moral obligations or truths depend on the commands of God. Versions differ over which divine commands ground morality and how those commands relate to God’s nature.
Euthyphro dilemma : A dilemma asking whether what is good is loved by the gods because it is good, or good because they love it. It challenges whether goodness depends on divine approval or divine approval tracks an independent standard.
Plato : An ancient Greek philosopher whose dialogues examine knowledge, justice, virtue, and the nature of reality. The Euthyphro dialogue supplies the classic challenge to grounding goodness in divine approval.
Moral naturalism : The view that moral facts are natural facts, discoverable through empirical or theoretical inquiry. It seeks to explain morality without grounding it in divine commands.
Islamic ethics : Ethical thought within Islam, drawing on the Quran, prophetic tradition, jurisprudence, and theological reasoning. Islamic debates examine whether moral value is known by reason or established by divine command.
Moral epistemology : The study of how moral knowledge and justified moral belief are possible. The theory must explain how people know which commands are genuinely divine.
Divine nature theory : The view that moral values are grounded in God’s essential nature rather than in divine commands. It offers a grounding in God’s character rather than in acts of willing or commanding.
Euthyphro : A character in Plato’s dialogue who argues that piety is what the gods love. His definition sets up the question that later became central to divine command theory.
Kantian ethics : An ethical theory that grounds moral requirements in rational principles and respect for persons. It locates moral authority in practical reason rather than divine authority.
Jewish ethics : Ethical thought rooted in Jewish texts, law, interpretation, and philosophical traditions. The relation between divine commandments and moral duties is a recurring interpretive question.
Religious language : The study of how language about God and religious matters conveys meaning and truth. Interpreting commands depends on how divine speech is understood and transmitted.
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