by Jeanine

Created on: August 06, 2008   Last Updated: July 13, 2010

Are acts immoral because they go against what God has commanded? If so, are all morals set through God's command? Can a universal set of morals be imposed on all people everywhere? The Divine Command Theory argues that God's command is the origin and standard for morality.

The Divine Command Theory is based on the belief that morality is originated by God's command. The reference to God is the reference to the power that is omniscient, omnipotent and wholly good. The theory then implies the fact that an act is morally obligatory if and only if God commands it is done. This then gives reason to the fact that an act is morally forbidden if and only if God commands it not be done. This universal moral theory is solely determined by what God has commanded. The basis of this theory is found in a person's true belief in a higher power. These people must believe that any action against God is an immoral doing. Hence, the Divine Command Theory rests solely on the existence of God and his words.

Can all morals be based on an entity such as God, who isn't even universally accepted? Given the argument in which the Divine Command Theory relies on, it's hard to accept this vague suggestion. I will now criticize this theory based on the relevance of God and the ability for this theory to suggest all morals are solely commanded by God. For example, in today's world there are several different religions, with of coarse different Gods. If the Divine Command Theory were to be correct then all of these separate religions would have a different set of morals. This to me seems to be the main contradiction within the Divine Command Theory. At the same time, this theory also presupposes the mere existence of God and of God's command. How are we to know which God and which commands to truly follow? Or better yet, how do we even know there is a God?

Further analysis of the Divine Command theory only brings up more questions. Such as, if God's command is known then how do we know how to interpret his words? And with this, in what situation and circumstances is God's command moral? For example, if God commands that man shall not kill then if a women being raped gets a chance at striking back and killing her attacker, is she immoral for doing so? And if her actions were justifiably moral than God's command is not the sole determiner of morality. Contradictions in God's command such as this lead me to further criticize this theory. I do not believe that the Divine Command theory is based on strong enough evidence and reason to be the determiner of morality. If a theory such as this is aimed at claiming morals as universally accepted then a more collective acceptance is needed in what exactly God is and what exactly he has commanded.

In conclusion, after evaluating the Divine Command Theory, I have come to reject it as a moral determiner. With such a reliance on God I feel this theory does not posses the strength needed when it comes to determining the origin of morals. Therefore the Divine Command Theory concludes its argument on facts which remain uncertain which concludes itself as an uncertain moral theory.

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