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Divine Command Theory is a theory of ethics which makes the claim that in order to determine whether an action is good or bad, God first must make the distinction between the two. This means that any notion one has of right and wrong is derived solely from the word, or will of God and not their own personal intuition or reasoning. Morality, therefore is based on
God’s whim because whatever God says is good IS good, period. If God commands that we be honest, then honesty is morally acceptable and would be the right thing to do. But, if God commands that we should be dishonest thieves, then lying and stealing would be the right thing to do because good and bad technically are arbitrary.
The scenario mentioned, regardless of how unlikely it is to occur, holds relevance because God possesses divine power and omnipotence, according to Divine Command Theory
(DCT). In the biblical account recorded in the book of Genesis for example, Abraham, a loyal servant of God, was instructed to carry out God’s will by killing his son Isaac as a sacrificial offering. Without questioning God’s reason, Abraham took Isaac to the alter, bound him and prepared to kill him by the blade.
Although God intervened in this account and Isaac’s life was spared, God’s will was carried out nonetheless. The very nature of the theory of divine commandment holds that good and bad CAN change. What God wills one day may be different the next, and if good and bad are arbitrary, than killing can potentially become the right thing to do at any moment. The example of Abraham, among many others, is evidence that God tests his follower’s loyalty and

obedience. The point is to demonstrate that no matter how much we disagree with something, if God has commanded it, we must do it.
The Euthyphro Dilemma, found in Plato’s text The Last Days of Socrates, is one of the most commonly know objections to DCT. In the debate, Socrates asked Euthyphro the philosophically famous question, “What do we say about holiness? Is it not loved by all the gods...because it is holy, or for some other reason?” Euthyphro responded, “No, because it is holy.” Socrates made his point clear by saying, “Then it is loved by the gods because it is holy, it is not holy because it is loved by them… they are different things.” 1 Socrates’ observation of
DCT challenged that actions can be good without qualification from the gods.
Many modern theologians have attempted to revise DCT. These religious philosophers have offered modified versions of the theory in response to its problems, such as the Euthyphro
Dilemma. Robert Adams, for example has argued that, “Any action is ethically wrong if and only if it is contrary to the commands of a loving god.” 2
Philip Quinn has also worked to improve DCT and the view that people hold of it. In his defense for the theory he talks about God’s commandments, which although may be said to be arbitrary because they can, and do change, should be acknowledged because God is wise and
1 Plato. Euthyphro, tr. H. N. Fowler (Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 1947).
2 Adams, Robert M. The Virtue of Faith and Other Essays in Philosophical Theology (Oxford University Press, 1987)

good. He used examples in the bible to show how God has demonstrated his wisdom, is not an evil being, and would never command us to do something bad.
Robert C. Mortimer, Anglican Bishop and author of Christian Ethics (1950), points to the nature of God and knowing what kind of God he is as an influential factor in the way Christians conduct themselves. Based on the examples of “what God has done”, Mortimer explained, “and from the nature of these actions we can infer what God is like.”
Mortimer made the claim that, since the bible states that God created the heavens and the earth, and all of the things in it (including humans), he knows what is best. This fact trumps all other theories and skeptics, according to Mortimer.
These and other religious philosophers maintain the original form of DCT, in that they believe in God to be the all powerful, all wise creator. They also address some of the issues and dilemmas that have faced the theory throughout the ages, such as the Euthyphro dilemma and other biblical skepticisms.
When looking at DCT as a whole, there are some obvious problems with its implications that we can find. First, the theory infers that without God, morality is unattainable. If that is the case, then all atheistic and agnostic people would automatically be deemed “bad”. On those same lines, one of the biggest problems that faces DCT; is there actually a god? And if so, which one(s)? If you happen to follow the wrong god than you would almost be better off being atheist or agnostic to begin with because you would have not been misled by a false deity.

If you are of the Christian faith, then you are faced with an issue of biblical relevance.
The lives of modern day society are no doubt vastly different from those of ancient ones. What people did thousands of years ago to survive would be considered strange by most people today.
Christians are instructed to uphold the teachings of the bible because it is God’s word, and to apply it to their lives. As proponents of DCT, they truly believe that morality is based on the commandments of a divine being which provides guidance in their lives. They look to God and pray to him in their everyday lives. Why then, does God not provide an updated version of the bible that is relevant to modern lifestyles and customs? While many of its teachings are considered globally applicable, others are often vague and confusing, which is why so many interpret it in different ways.
Lastly, along the same line of thought as the dilemma presented to Euthyphro, is God the creator of good things, or are God’s commandments good simply because God commands what is good? This is the big question that often arises in discussions on DCT. If God commands what is good, which it looks like is the case, than good became good before it was decreed that way by a god. This means that goodness is attainable without God; people can live their lives in a morally good way no matter what they believe in.
In conclusion, DCT has become a sensitive subject for many. It has proven to be a positive factor in some people’s lives, but has also proven to be a negative factor in the progression of theoretical progress due to its nature of being a conversation stopper. The large majority of people around the world adhere to familiar customs and habits. What one nation or

religion believes to be the right thing to do may be very different from another. Getting to know and understand why people do things certain ways is important in the progression of the theories of morality. Diversity throughout the world is only becoming greater as time goes on and if DCT is holding us back in understanding each other than it is no longer a positive force in society.

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