The Moral Argument
Does our moral awareness come from
God?
Kant’s moral argument
• There is an objective moral law that we must
obey
– The categorical imperative
– Determine by reason alone
– Doing our duty for duty’s sake
Kant’s moral argument
• We are required to attain the summum bonum
(the highest good)
– Reason tells us that obedience should bring about
the summum bonum
– But sometimes our obedience can lead to
misinterpretation
• This can lead to more suffering
– The summum bonum must involve both perfect
virtue and perfect happiness
Kant’s moral argument
• We can only be obliged to do something that we
can actually do
– Kant’s assumption
– We must be able to fulfil our obligation
Kant’s moral argument
• We cannot reach the summum bonum with the
assistance of God
– We are not the cause of the world
– We do not have the power to achieve SB
– Even if we could achieve perfect morality we cannot
guarantee connecting it with perfect happiness
Kant’s moral argument
• Since we are obliged to attain the summum
bonum, God must exist to ensure that we can
achieve that which we are obliged to do.
– If we cannot attain the SB on our own we need help
– It follows that such help must be the best and must
therefore be God
Agreement with Kant
• John Hick
– To recognise moral claims as taking precedence over all other
interests is, implicitly, to believe in a reality of some kind, other
than the natural world, that is superior to oneself and entitled to
one’s obedience… This is at least a move in the direction of
God.
John Hick Philosophy of religion, 1990
• H P Owen
– ‘It is impossible to think of a command without thinking of
a commander’
• Aquinas
– God wrote the laws into the design of the world
Freud’s criticisms
• If there is no moral obligation the argument
collapses
• If we do not need to attain that which is beyond
our grasp we do not need God
• Freud claimed that our apparent obligation
comes from the mind
Freud’s criticisms
• Our sense of moral obligation comes from:
• Our super ego that is our subconscious
• It is due to a conflict
– Between our desires and
– Society and parents
– Parents teach morals
Subconscious desires
E.G.
Society demands
Murder
Super ego
Care
ego
Conscious mediator
Other objections to Kant
• People disagree as to what the moral laws are
• E.g. should you tell a lie to protect a person’s life?
• The categorical imperative says no
• W D Ross argues that the life is of more importance
• Cultural relativists
• Morality is based on cultural expectations
Other objections to Kant
• Erikson and Fromm
• Moral awareness is based on that what is of value to us
• Brian Davies
• Not illogical to aim for something beyond our grasp
• Does not have to be the Classical theistic God who helps
Putting it altogether
•
Write bullet points that show how you would
go about answering the following exam
question:
a) Explain Kant’s version of the moral argument (33)
b) ‘The moral argument proves nothing more than the
desirability of there being a God.’ Discuss (17)