Ethics and religion Evolution and ethics: Fall, 201 I.

The direction of Fit problems and solutions Philosophical ethics has to deal with this: Bascuse scientific statements are descriptivie, they have the world as an independent standard for their truth] Moral statements are prescriptive, so they lack that independent standard. i. Is there some other independent standard for moral statements, and if so, what is it?

Possible solutions: Supernaturalism: morality is grounded in a divine source. Non-naturalism: morality is grounded in some fact about humans which is not a natural fact. o Humans are practical rational beings. Anti-realism: Morality is not a matter of truth or falsehood but merely expresses personal and social responses. Naturalism: Morality is grounded in natural facts about human beings.

Ethical Supernaturalism: Ethical Supernaturalism is the idea that ethics is grounded in supernatural facts (typically, facts about God)

Two common views: Divine command: ethics is grounded in gods commandments

An action morally right = commanded by god An action that is morally wrong = forbidden by god.

Natural law Theory:

What is right is what is in accord with the natural laws as evident in the natural world, which exhibits Gods purpose.

The problem:
The theory relies on physical and metaphysical assumptions that we have good reason to reject

Why are the supernatural moral theories so appealing? My best guess:

Supernatural moral theories give absolute, definitive and final answers to moral questions. Moreover, they give answers that contain clear self-interested reason for acting and living morally. Because moral questions are important and practical, it is not surprising that supernatural theories appeal to many people. Laymans arguments: Without god you cant argue the premise