Revision:Moral Argument for the existence of God

TSR Wiki > Study Help > Subjects and Revision > Revision Notes > A Level Religious Studies Revision Notes > Moral Argument for the existence of God

The Moral Argument suggests that God is the best solution to the question as to why we feel that we should behave morally.

One thing to note however is that Aquinas nor Kant set out in their works to create the moral argument for God existence but what they said fits well with the Moral Argument

St Thomas Aquinas

In his 4th way Aquinas argues that as humans we experience things that are good, true, noble and valuable. These things must take their reality from things that are good, true, noble and valuable. Infinte regression is not possible so there must be something which is the most good, true, noble and valuable. This is what we call God.

Immanuel Kant

Kant believed in an ultmate end called the supreme good. This is what he called the summon bonum which is also the state in which virtue and happiness are united. However Kant felt that this lifetime was not enough to achieve the summon bonum and therefore he deduced that we must have immortal souls. The afterlife must exist in order for God to proved us with an opportunity to achieve the summum bonum. This is because it would be illogical to be required to seek an impossible end. God's existence is morally necessary. If we are to live as a moral being we must believe that we live and act in a moral world even if it doesn't appear as such.

He also rejects any theoretical arguments to prove God's existence. A rational moral person should believe in God. We do not need God to be able to recognise what is morally right but for Kant morality lead to God.

Quote

"Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe...the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me." Kant

Cardinal John Newman

The reason why we have a conscience is because God has given us the mechanism so that we know how to do good. He argues that God's existence is deduced from the presence of the conscience. It implies a personal God and clearly opens up the possiblity of relationship in a way that the design argument does not. Our sense of guilt, moral responsiblity & obligation is a sense of God.

Quote

"We feel responsibility, are ashamed are frightened at transgressing the voice of conscience, this implies that there is one to whom we are responsible." Newman

Robert Adams

Argues that wrongness can be identical to being contrary to the commands of a loving God. If God does not exist or God is not loving, then nothing can be morally right or wrong. If some things are wrong then God must exist.

Critcisms

Brian Davis

• Why assume that only God can bring about the highest good. It could equally be brought about by a 'pantheon of angels'
• Why assume that virtue must be rewarded with happiness
• With regards to having to achieve the summom bonum Davis argues that we might aim for something even though achieving it is unlikely
• Even if the summum bonum implies the existence of God it does not prove it

Plato (Euthyphro Dilemma)

"Is somthing good because God commands it, or does God command it because it is good" If God commands it because it is good then God is not necessary for an ethical system to work

Richard Swinburne

Rejects the moral argument by arguing that moral principles are analytically and necessarily true. A theistic explanation is not needed.

Sigmund Freud

Argued that what Kant thought of as an objective moral law is really generated by our minds as a result of the conflict between our deepest desires and society (you can use his view on the conscience here as a criticisms see the following notes )

Comments

This is specifcally revision notes for the scripture as part of the Philosophy module in the OCR Religious Studies exam. However this can be used for other purposes as well.

This was created by Chrisateen