Morality, Inescapable Rational Authority, and a God's Wishes

It is a supposed conceptual truth about moral norms that we have reason to comply with them even if we desire not to. This combination of rational authority and inescapability is thought to be incompatible with instrumentalism about practical reason. This essay argues that there are ways in which no...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of religious ethics
Main Author: Harrison, Gerald K. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Wiley-Blackwell [2015]
In: Journal of religious ethics
Further subjects:B inescapable rational authority
B categorical reasons
B Divine Command Theory
B Metaethics
Online Access: Volltext (Verlag)
Volltext (doi)
Description
Summary:It is a supposed conceptual truth about moral norms that we have reason to comply with them even if we desire not to. This combination of rational authority and inescapability is thought to be incompatible with instrumentalism about practical reason. This essay argues that there are ways in which norms with inescapable rational authority can exist alongside instrumentalism about practical reason. One way involves positing an afterlife and a powerful supernatural agency—so, a kind of god—who has total control over our welfare in that afterlife. I go on to argue that the attitudes of this god would also provide something answering to our impressions of moral desert.
ISSN:1467-9795
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal of religious ethics
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1111/jore.12105