Moral Arguments for the Existence of God [addendum]
The moral argument purports to show that evidence from our moral experience supports the existence of God. From the 1970s onward, various forms of the moral argument have been developed by many philosophers. While defenders argue with increased sophistication, they also tend to make more modest claims about the force of the moral argument.
Moral Arguments as Abductive and Cumulative Arguments
If the moral argument is construed as a deductive argument that moves from, say, the objectivity of moral values to the existence of God, then to rebut the argument, the critic needs to show only that the objectivity of moral values and the nonexistence of God are logically compatible. This is a relatively easy task. However, developments in epistemology and philosophy of science since the 1960s lead many to think that it is more realistic to look, in most areas of inquiry, for an abductive argument, an inference to the best explanation. We can formulate the moral argument too as an abductive argument, that is, argue that among diverse worldviews, the theistic worldview is the best explanation of, say, the objectivity of morals, especially in contrast with naturalism.
Since abductive arguments are by nature cumulative arguments, the force of an abductive moral argument will depend not on any single feature of morality, but rather on how well it can explain the whole gamut of moral experience, both its form and its content. For example, Louis Pojman argues, "Given the assumption of standard contemporary secular moral philosophy: I. The notion of moral obligation becomes seriously problematic; II. The notion of the supremacy of morality either becomes problematically analytic or it vanishes; III. The problem of morality and self-interest becomes insoluble; IV. The idea that human beings have intrinsic value ceases to make sense." Hence, "most contemporary secular ethical systems offer no hope of guiding human conduct, and should be abandoned" (1992b, p. 4).
In contrast, ethical systems that proceed from transcendent assumptions can offer resources unavailable to secular ethical systems. For example, the Christian tradition can appeal to a perfectly good, omnipotent God who created humanity in his image. Each person is endowed with a specific telos, which the individual must seek to realize. Within this framework, all humans have equal intrinsic worth, free will, and eternal destiny (see also Pojman 1991, 1992a). Morality consists of obeying God's commands, which promote human flourishing and are backed by rewards and punishments. All these provide a solid foundation for the existence of moral obligation and responsibility.
Are Moral Truths Analytic?
Not all theistic philosophers accept the moral argument. For example, Richard Swinburne (1974) believes that fundamental moral truths are necessary truths and do not need to be explained. Defenders have several ways to respond. First, they may flatly deny Swinburne's claim by pointing out that moral nihilism and moral relativism at least appear to be logically coherent positions. Second, even if many moral principles are necessary truths, it does not follow that they cannot be explained by more basic necessary truths about God's essential moral nature and logically necessary existence. Charles Taliaferro even suggests a cosmological-ethical argument that utilizes "the resources of a theistic metaphysic in providing a singular, comprehensive explanatory account of moral truths as well as other essential truths," in addition to explaining the existence of the cosmos. In this way, theism may exhibit "a marked simplicity and force missing from its competitors" (1996, p. 290).
Harman 1984).
God, Concepts Of; Mackie, John Leslie; Moral Skepticism.
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