Magistrates of Morality: How the Euthyphro Dilemma Cripples Divine Command Theory

Throughout human history, the topic of theology has been a central aspect of everyday life. A common denominator of all modern-day religions is that they provide a set of rules which one is to follow in order to live as a good, moral being. When a deity (or a group of deities) commands followers to abide by specific moral standards though a vehicle such as prophets, religious texts or otherwise, this is called Divine Command Theory (DCT). Those who accept this theory believe that moral action coincides with what has been ordered by the deities, and immoral action would occur when one deviates from these orders. Despite this theory remaining relevant into the twenty-first century, it has still yet to solve one age-old dilemma. The Euthyphro Argument has stumped philosophers for years, but some Divine Command theorists believe they can overcome the massive obstacles it presents. In this paper, I will argue that it is impossible for one to resolve the Euthyphro Argument no matter how it is approached, and that the challenges it presents to DCT are insurmountable. To begin, I will first introduce the Euthyphro Argument and its two horns. Following this, I will summarize the best response a Divine Command theorist could possibly hold for the first horn of the Euthyphro Argument, and subsequently render it untrue. I will then repeat this process for the second horn of the dilemma. Once both of the original claims have proven to be unshakable, I will address the common attempt by Divine Command theorists to work around the issue by claiming it is not in fact a dilemma at all.

Plato first conceived of the Euthyphro Argument in one of his earliest dialogues, aptly entitled Euthyphro. In this literature, Socrates and Euthyphro debate the ...

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...rinciples of law that were founded outside of his or her own opinion. They are not the source of what is just or unjust, but rather they merely apply the rules already established from years of social progression and political influence. Thus, when Divine Command theorists argue that they have successfully conquered the Euthyphro Argument, they must be reminded that the opposite is true, and the age-old dilemma has actually reduced their deities to magistrates of morality.

Works Cited

Craig, W. L. (2010). On Guard: Defending Your Faith with Reason and Precision. Colorado Springs: David C. Cook Publishing Company.

Johnstone, M., Primmer, J. (2014). [Lecture]. Morality I: Divine Command Theories of Ethics. PHILOS 1E03, Problems of Philosophy. Hamilton, ON, Canada: McMaster University.

Plato. (2013). Euthyphro. Problems of Philosophy: Custom Publishing , 167-169.