ipl-logo

The Euthyphro Dilemma

977 Words4 Pages

In order to properly address tough questions in medical ethics, we need to ensure that we have plausible and consistent reasons for the answers we give to those questions. To do this, we need to take a step back and ask the broader question, “What makes right actions right and wrong actions wrong?” In this class, we have considered a number of possible answers to this question. Since each of these theories is inconsistent with the others, only one of them (at most) can be correct. In what follows, I consider each of these theories and argue that _________ is the most plausible.
Moral subjectivism is the belief that morality is determined by an individual, it is not dependent on society but only on the individual. A moral subjectivism follows …show more content…

God created all humans, therefore he must think that every human is seen equally as worthy to be deemed beautiful.
The Euthyphro Dilemma is Plato’s question concerning what is truly good and how it is determined whether a thing is good either because God says it’s good, or if God say it is good because it’s good. Most theists would agree that God himself is the foundation of morality or goodness. God is good so whatever he thinks is good must be true. They would agree that whatever is God’s will is what is good and just. But the question of whether it is good and just because God determines it or whether God determines it because it is good and just still remains.
· Utilitarianism is theory that an action should create the greatest possible balance of happiness over unhappiness or of pleasure over pain. A utilitarian would follow the idea of using beauty to create happiness. The idea of increasing one’s utility by being “beautiful” would be followed by the utilitarian because it is likely that more people would be happy if people were more attractive and people would be less susceptible to feel upset or hurt by being attractive. In the end, if most people are at the maximum amount of happiness, then being beautiful would be encouraged. Being less than beautiful would be frowned upon because in society, it would not create the most happiness, it would create

Show More
Related
1376 Words | 6 Pages

Conclusion Moral objectivism is the idea that moral standards are capable of being applied universally around the world. There are many challenges to this theory stripping it of its validity. However, Shafer-Landau and other philosophers provide evidence to some exceptions still allowing moral objectivity to stand and be valid.

Read More
1152 Words | 5 Pages

In order to examine the problems this claim is followed by, first we must assess exactly what the statement means. The specific problems that arise from claiming it to be true and different depending on whether you say it because you believe that God commanding the actions make them good, or whether God would only command actions which are good absent from his will. These two different option form the basis for Plato’s Euthyphro Dilemma in which Socrates asks Euthyphro that very question: ‘Is what is holy holy because the gods approve of it, or do they approve it because it is holy?’ , with the former being known as the Divine Command Theory.

Read More
201 Words | 1 Pages

In the novel The Five Dialogues the story of Euthyphro discusses two different sides of what pious and impious is and how to apply critical thinking into solving the problem. Although, the real question is what Euthyphro and Socrates think of what the true definition of pious and impious. The word pious in a society means that they are devoted to god. So when Socrates went to court of being charged of impiety by Meletus which he then encounters Euthyphro who was about to prosecute is father for accidentally killing a man who was one of his workers. Euthyphro claims that he is being holy and that he isn’t doing anything wrong about turning his father in for murder.

Read More
1864 Words | 8 Pages

Imagine that you and a friend are exploring the moonlit streets of downtown Seattle on foot. As both of you approach the crosswalk, you happen to notice a car speeding down the hill that precedes the crosswalk, but your friend, being from elsewhere and engrossed in awe, fails to notice the speeding car and continues to the crosswalk with no sign of planning to stop from both your friend and the speeding car. For the sake of ease let’s assume that only two actions can be taken. The first one being that you shove your friend out of the way and you get hit by the speeding car and suffer injuries that diminish the quality of your life. The second option is that you, instead of sacrificing your well-being, allow the car to hit your friend which will result in their death.

Read More
507 Words | 3 Pages

The decision as to whether it would be morally acceptable for the operation to take place, lies in the social construct of the surgeon and what influences her morals. Throughout the course of this essay I will identify theories on morality that will offer a framework as to how we think and identify which moral theories have a significant influence on the social construct of the surgeon which consequently will reveal her decision. Utilitarianism; right and wrong is determined by an outcome whereby happiness outweighs the consequences of the moral dilemma, in this case killing one man to save five. This is one of the theories the surgeon would potentially base her decision on. If the surgeon believed in this theory, her decisions would not be influenced by any personal preferences or interests, she would in turn believe it morally admissible to operate, as sacrificing the life of one person to save five people would be for the greater good, as the action may lead to overall happiness which in-turn outweighs the bad.

Read More
1870 Words | 8 Pages

After much discussion, they choose Anne. There are five ethical theories that help doctors make difficult decisions like this one, which is what this essay will be exploring. The theory of utilitarianism attempts to do the greatest good for the greatest amount of people. It is concerned with the final

Read More
1540 Words | 7 Pages

In the first suppose, it demonstrates that the virtue of something being pious originates from themselves and that the property of being pious is not determined by the gods if they love it for being pious. In this instance, even when gods love them, the value of holy goods cannot rise since the virtue already belongs to them and was not imparted by the will of the gods. In the second response, if anything is pious because the gods love it, then it can only be pious if it also gets their love; an object cannot be pious without the gods' love. After I discuss the original Euthyphro problem, I believe we have a basic understanding of it and can approach the Euthyphro problem for theists in a similar way. Theists, such as Christians, hold the belief that there is only one supreme being in the cosmos who is omnipotent, omniscient, and monotheistic and who both initially created and continues to influence the cosmos today.

Read More
1010 Words | 5 Pages

Evans and the Ohio Department of Corrections failed Tomcik in applying basic ethical theories. Normative and applied ethics were not followed because the minimal standard of care in this case called for palpitation of the breasts, which was not done. If the physician knew that palpitation of the side of Tomcik’s breasts was the correct minimal procedure to detect cancer and he did not complete it, he failed to apply the theory of how he should behave. Deontological ethics were failed as the doctor was duty-bound to “do no harm or injustice”. (Greek Medicine, 2012)

Read More
951 Words | 4 Pages

For thousands of people, what is holy and what is moral comes from religious texts that act as a guide for individuals for how they ought to live their lives. This idea of holiness and morality for many is deeply rooted in the understanding that it originates with God; it is a necessary condition for it to be binding. However, what if what is holy and moral didn’t originate from God’s goodness, rather it comes from other mediums and is itself good thus being approved by God? This idea of existence and thought is a question that can be outlined in Plato’s, The Euthyphro.

Read More
931 Words | 4 Pages

If the first is culled, it would implicatively insinuate that whatever God commands must be good: even if he commanded someone to inflict suffering, then inflicting suffering must be moral. If the latter is culled, then morality is no longer dependent on God, vanquishing the divine command theory. Also, if God is subject to an external law, he is not sovereign or omnipotent, which would challenge the orthodox conception of God. Proponents of the Euthyphro dilemma might claim that divine command theory is conspicuously erroneous because either answer challenges the competency of God to give moral

Read More
495 Words | 2 Pages

For example, if God's essential property is “omnibenevolence” Then it may be argued that God would never command anything that is morally wrong, therefore the divine command theory is true alternatively if God's central properties include attributes such as simplicity and eternity then it may be argued that morality exists independently of God's command and therefore the moral theory is true. The implications that come with both horns of euphoria dilemma for God. Seeing the first horn is correct then God's commands are unpredictable and lack real-life morals. If God wanted to command something evil such as murder or rape, he could because he has the power this view brings the statement of morality exists on that external standard that raises the question of the necessity of God. In either case, God is essential to our understanding of morality if a subject relates to morality and varies from one religion to another then there is no objective to morality on the other hand if something is objective to morality then it must be grounded into something beyond human understanding and that something is what we call

Read More
778 Words | 4 Pages

Furthermore, defenders of the divine command theory like Alston have faced the Euthyphro dilemma by says that although God’s commands make right actions right, God is morally perfect and hence would never issue unjust or immoral commandments. On their eyes, God’s nature is the standard of moral goodness, and God’s commands or words are the origin of all obligation and kindness.(Jeremy Koons, n.d.) One well-known objection to divine will/divine command moral theories is that they commit us to the view that God’s will is arbitrary, and the arbitrary will of God is not a plausible basis for morality.(Thomas,

Read More
692 Words | 3 Pages

Through the bioethics program at Columbia University, I intend to further investigate a few areas of interest. Surgical ethics is a significant area of interest and holds importance to me. I am interested in investigating the ethics of conducting research on the decisional capacity of patients who have

Read More
1025 Words | 5 Pages

Moral relativism is an umbrella term that carries both subjectivism and conventionalism. Subjectivism is the ability to kill a man and it be accepted because of individual moral beliefs that it is okay to do so, as to conventionalism, you would be incarcerated for most or all of your life due to the fact that society sees murder as wrong. Conventionalism takes the individuals spread beliefs onto a society level through media, networking, or culture. It creates a safety net for knowing right from wrong.

Read More
1218 Words | 5 Pages

The last theory is Aristotle’s virtue ethics which states that we should move from the concern towards good action and to focus on the concern with good character. This paper argues that Aristotle’s virtue ethics is better than the other ethical theories. The divine command theory says that what is morally right and what is morally wrong is determined by God and God alone. People who follow the divine command theory believe that God is the creator of all things, therefore, he must also be the creator of morally right and wrong acts.

Read More

More about The Euthyphro Dilemma

Related Topics

Open Document