RE: On theism, why do humans have moral duties even if there are objective moral values?
May 21, 2022 at 11:47 pm
(This post was last modified: May 21, 2022 at 11:49 pm by The Grand Nudger.)
(May 21, 2022 at 6:04 pm)Pnerd Wrote: I was wondering if there is any other reason or rationale (from a theistic point of view) to be good to others other than hoping to receive a reward or avoid punishment in the afterlife. I want to know why a theist might think that they have moral duties and obligations. One obvious reason is the hope of receiving a reward or avoiding punishment. I wonder if there are any other reasons and what they might be.
Consider this. A society may decide it wants to rid the world of everyone with blue eyes. A society may place a bounty on people with blue eyes. A society may even levy fines or imprison you if you fail to report people with blue eyes. You could seek the reward, and avoid the punishment, by collaborating.
Objective moral values, and whatever duty we're compelled to by them (assuming they exist) are those things we would be compelled to do even if there were no reward, and even when it would lead to punishment. Divine reward and punishment is not an obvious reason to assert that we have objective moral duties. It's not a reason that we would have objective moral duties at all.
If there are objective moral values. If our actions can have consequences of a moral import. If we are competent moral agents. Then, and only then, could there be a such a set of things we must do, and we must not do. It's a narrow lane. I used the example of feeding my kids earlier. I'll refer to it again with these conditions fresh in mind.
We've assumed that there are objective moral values. It's clear that if I don't feed my children they will starve. I understand this relationship and I'm capable of effecting the outcome. Because all of these conditions are true, it follows that I have a moral duty to feed them. Even if they have blue eyes.
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