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    Euthyphro Dilemma

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    sreigh5536
    The document discusses different views on whether God is supremely good. It presents the Euthyphro dilemma, which poses two unsatisfactory options for why something is morally good: either it is good because God commands it, making morality arbitrary, or morality exists independently of God, limiting God's power. The document suggests a potential solution is that goodness is defined by God's unchanging nature, though this raises similar issues. It concludes by questioning if the concept of God's goodness makes coherent sense or reveals the concept of God as incoherent or mysterious.

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    Euthyphro Dilemma

    Uploaded by

    sreigh5536
    496 views8 pages
    The document discusses different views on whether God is supremely good. It presents the Euthyphro dilemma, which poses two unsatisfactory options for why something is morally good: either it is good because God commands it, making morality arbitrary, or morality exists independently of God, limiting God's power. The document suggests a potential solution is that goodness is defined by God's unchanging nature, though this raises similar issues. It concludes by questioning if the concept of God's goodness makes coherent sense or reveals the concept of God as incoherent or mysterious.

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    The document discusses different views on whether God is supremely good. It presents the Euthyphro dilemma, which poses two unsatisfactory options for why something is morally good: either it is good because God commands it, making morality arbitrary, or morality exists independently of God, limiting God's power. The document suggests a potential solution is that goodness is defined by God's unchanging nature, though this raises similar issues. It concludes by questioning if the concept of God's goodness makes coherent sense or reveals the concept of God as incoherent or mysterious.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    496 views8 pages

    Euthyphro Dilemma

    Uploaded by

    sreigh5536
    The document discusses different views on whether God is supremely good. It presents the Euthyphro dilemma, which poses two unsatisfactory options for why something is morally good: either it is good because God commands it, making morality arbitrary, or morality exists independently of God, limiting God's power. The document suggests a potential solution is that goodness is defined by God's unchanging nature, though this raises similar issues. It concludes by questioning if the concept of God's goodness makes coherent sense or reveals the concept of God as incoherent or mysterious.

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    The passages discuss different understandings of God's goodness and perfection, and introduce the concept of the Euthyphro dilemma, which questions whether something is morally good because God commands it or if God commands it because it is inherently good.

    The Euthyphro dilemma is a dilemma that questions whether something is morally good because God commands it or if God commands it because it is inherently good.

    The two horns of the Euthyphro dilemma are: 1) Morality is arbitrary because it is based on God's commands alone, or 2) God's commands are based on an external standard of morality that God must obey.

    Is God supremely good?

    Gods goodness has been understood in different ways:


    Goodness refers to Gods moral character, the fact that God always does good.

    Goodness means that God is complete and perfect, and contains all those attributes that are necessary for perfection.

    Goodness means that God is the source of all moral goodness.

    Is God supremely good?


    Gods goodness has been understood in different ways:
    Goodness refers to Gods moral character, the fact that God always does good.

    Goodness means that God is complete and perfect, and contains all those attributes that are necessary for perfection.

    Goodness means that God is the source of all moral goodness.

    PROBLEM???

    The Euthypro dilemma


    A dilemma is a situation where you have two options and both of them are undesirable. (like two horns!)

    E.g. your best friends partner is cheating on them. They are unaware but you find out. If you tell your friend they will hate you for it, and if you dont, it will continue.

    The Euthypro dilemma the two horns!


    "Is the pious loved by the gods because it is pious, or is it
    pious because it is loved by the gods?" (Socrates) Is X good because God says so, or does God say X is good because its good? (X is any morally good action, like giving to charity).

    The Euthyphro dilemma neither answer to the question WHY IS X GOOD?is satisfactory X is good because...
    God says so, and that makes it good (what God commands/says goes)
    Abhorrent Arbitrary
    Morality is just Gods whim the toss of a Empty coin. If it wasnt It seems trivial to call arbitrary, then God good. Why He would be praise God for being commanding it good when whatever because it was he does becomes independently a good because he did good thing. it? God could command anything even horrible crimes.

    It is independently good, and that is why God says it is good.

    MORALITY IS BIGGER THAN GOD!!! God cannot change what is right and wrong, so He is slave to it as we are.

    The Euthyphro dilemma - Solution X is good because...


    God says so!
    It is good, and God says so because of this.
    An objective and unchangeable standard exists (vs option 1) But this is internal to the nature of God. He is not following rules external to him (vs option 2)

    The Euthyphro dilemma - Solution Does this work?

    An objective and unchangeable standard exists (vs option 1) But this is internal to the nature of God. He is not following rules external to him (vs option 2)

    Uh oh... a similar dilemma seems to apply!


    Is Gods character good because it refers to some independent standard of goodness... Independence problem? ...or is it good because it is? Arbitrary?

    Does it make sense to say that God is supremely good?


    Whats your conclusion to the Euthyphro Dilemma? Here are some possibilities

    Whatever way you look at it, it is a dilemma and there is no way out, thus demonstrating the vacuous nature of the attribute supremely good.

    The Euthyphro Dilemma is a false dilemma. There is a third option which answers the problem.

    This discussion is further evidence that the concept of God is incoherent. Are we prepared to accept that this is part of the mysterious nature of God, or is it so mysterious as to be meaningless?

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