Margaret N. Lee
Religion, Morality and Conscience
Review Questions:
1. According to Arthur, how are morality and religion different?
Morality is the attitude of an individual regarding the different behavior which is mostly
shown by rules, rights and obligations. While, religion, it is the culture of prayer, worship
and beliefs towards supernatural, institutional forms and authoritative texts.
2. Why isn’t religion necessary for moral motivation?
Religion and motivation has its big differences. Religion has no rules but religion have beliefs
which connects with morality. Because when you use religion to morality there is an
instance that you will succeed on what you do because religion do not dictate on the things
that you need to do and not to do.
3. Why isn’t religion necessary as a source of moral knowledge?
According to Arthur, religion does not necessary see moral knowledge to focus on rather
they see guidance as what must be focus on in religion.
4. What is the divine command theory? Why does Arthur reject this theory?
Divine command theory is about the ten commandments of God. Arthur rejected the theory
because for him if God would change His mind everything will follow especially His
commandments.
5. According to Arthur, how are morality and religion connected?
Based on what Arthur said, morality and religion is connected because there is God and if
God did not exist there will be no morality.
6. Dewey says that morality is social. What does this mean, according to Arthur?
As what is stated in the book, “Morality is therefore inherently social, in a variety of ways. It
depends on socially learned language, is learned from interactions with others in society.”
As what Arthur said, morality can only be social if people says that it is social and it also
depends on what language that was learned.
Discussion Questions:
1. Has Arthur refuted the divine command theory? If not, how can it be defended?
Arthur did not really refute the divine command theory because for him divine
command theory is not related to morality.
2. If morality is social, as Dewey says, then how can we have any obligations to non human
animals? (Arthur mentions this problem and some possible solutions to it in footnote 6).
In the Ten Commandments that God has made and gave us I do remember one of its
command which is “Thou shall not kill.”
3. What does Dewey mean by moral education? Does a college ethics class count as moral
education?
Ethics class does not count a moral education because a person can only be immoral if
you are not aware of what you act and you do not care to other people if they will be
hurt.