Higher RMPS

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Higher RMPS

• Lesson 3
• The Euthyphro dilemma

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Learning intentions

• After todays lesson you will be able to
• explain the background to the Euthyphro dilemma
• explain the Euthyphro dilemma
• explain the terms absolute and relative
  reality.

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The background

• Euthyphro was a man who brought his father to
  court for killing a slave. Euthyphro was adamant
  that this action was wrong and his father should
  be punished according. He believed his fathers
  action was impious or unholy.
• Socrates is a famous philosopher who is believed
  to have been responsible for the start of
  philosophy.
• Socrates wanted Euthyphro to define the terms
  pious and impious, for which he wanted his
  father charged.
• Euthyphro defined piety as what is pleasing to
  the gods.

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But Socrates responded

• with what has become
• known as the Euthyphro
• dilemma when he said

Socrates
is something pious because it is pleasing to the
gods or is it pleasing to the gods because it is
pious?
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In other words

• Is something good because God says it is good or
  does God say it is good because it is good?

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For example,

• Lets think about the golden rule
• treat others as you would like to be treated
• Many religious people say that it is right
• to treat others as you would like to be treated
• because God says it is right.

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But Socrates would argue

• Is it right to treat others as you would like to
  be treated because God has said it is right?
• OR
• Does God say it is right to treat others as you
  would like to be treated because it is right?

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Familiar???

• Have we heard a similar argument somewhere
• before?
• Does the chicken or the egg come first?

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Things to consider

• If it is right because God says it is right, does
  this
• mean that God is just making up rules for
  everyone to
• obey?
• If so, is this really a reason to make something
  right?
• Are some things just wrong regardless of what God
• commands? (Like David killing a man in the
  supermarket?)
• Can you think of some examples?

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Rape
Child abuse
Greed
Domestic abuse
Always wrong
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• Remember the divine command theory
• There are lots of people who have done things
  which are
• considered bad but have done them because they
• genuinely believed that God wanted them to do it
  and they
• believe their God is always right therefore their
  action
• was right.
• Can you think of any examples?

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Osama Bin Laden
Hitler
Levites
Divine command theory examples
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• If God says it is right
• because it is right, who
• decides what is right and
• wrong?
• Does this mean
• that there is someone
• higher than God who
• decides what is right?

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This leads us to think about absolute morality

• If something is wrong or right no matter what,
  this is called an absolute.
• For example, some religious people believe that
  it is always wrong to kill (pacifists).
• But lots of religious people fight in wars and
  some believe in capital punishment, so what is
  going on here?

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And relative morality

• Some religious people believe that moral
  questions depend on the circumstances, in other
  words they are relative to the situation.
• For example, if David had killed the man in the
  supermarket and saved the 80 people in the
  cinema, many religious people think it would be
  right to kill a person on this occasion.

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Learning check

• Explain in your own words the background to the
  Euthyphro
• dilemma. 3KU
• Describe the Euthyphro dilemma. 3KU
• Explain how you would answer the Euthyphro
  dilemma. 4AE
• Explain the term absolute morality. 2KU
• Give three examples of things which you think are
  always
• wrong. 3KU
• 6. Explain the term relative morality. 2KU
• Explain how you decide what is right and
  wrong. 4AE

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Quick recap

• The Euthyphro dilemma asks
• Is something good because God says it is good or
  does
• God say it is good because it is good?
• The Euthyphro dilemma emerged after a
  conversation
• between a man called Euthyphro and Socrates about
  a
• definition of what is holy or pious.
• If something is wrong or right no matter what, it
  is
• called an absolute.
• If moral questions depend on the circumstances
• they are relative to the situation.