1. Divine Command Theory –General questions about morality: What kinds of actions are morally right/wrong? Why? In virtue of what (are they right/wrong)? Are there objective truths about morality? –Divine command theory argues that the foundation of morality is God’s will Right acts are those that are in accordance with God’s Will; Wrong acts…

2. Socrates’ Question Are actions right because God commands them, or does God command them because they are right? According to divine command theory, an act is right (if it is) because God commands it. God’s command makes it right.

3. Rachels’ Objections 1. “This conception of morality is mysterious” 2. ….makes God’s commands arbitrary 3 …provides the wrong reasons

4. Natural law Theory Aristotle’s teleological account of the universe –Everything that exists has a telos (purpose) –The Telos of a thing specifies what it ought to be. The human telos specifies what I ought to be, how I ought to live.

5. Rachels’ Objections Sometimes what is natural is bad. –Natural for children to be self-centered –Natural diseases Confusing is and ought –Descriptive: People are naturally benevolent –Normative: People ought to be benevolent Modern science eliminates teleology