The relationship between a theistic God (considering there is one) and morality cannot be explained in simply a few sentences. One may immediately come to the conclusion that God decides what is moral and immoral. This is known as Divine Command Theory which says that morality is dependent on God’s commands. However, this gives rise to the other side that says an action is moral because God approves of it. This is known as the Autonomy thesis which says that morality is not dependent on God’s commands.
Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet (1787-1851) Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet (December 10, 1787–September 10, 1851) was born in Philadelphia. In 1805 he graduated from Yale University. He wanted to do many things such as study law, engage in trade, or study divinity. In 1814 Gallaudet became a preacher. After pursuing with that Gallaudet became interested in writing children's books.
Pascal decided to learn about geometry, a topic he had only heard of but never studied, in his spare time. By age thirteen, he had proven the 32nd proposition of Euclid and discovered an error in Rene Descartes geometry. His father put Pascal’s knowledge in mathematics towards hand totaling long columns of numbers to his job. Pascal later went on the create the pascaline, a device fourteen by five by three inches that could do calculations, which can now be considered the first mechanical calculator. In 1650, Pascal suddenly decided to avidly study religion, but returned to his previous lifestyle three years later, conducting experiments on the pressure exerted by gases and liquids, inventing the arithmetical triangle, and created the calculus of probabilities together with Fermat.
He was able to enter Westminster School at the age of thirteen, and from there went to Oxford, where some of the best scientists in England were working at the time. Hooke impressed them with his skills at designing experiments and building equipment, and soon became an assistant to the chemist Robert Boyle. In 1662 Hooke was named Curator of Experiments of the newly formed Royal Society of London -- meaning that he was responsible for demonstrating new experiments at the Society's weekly meetings. He later became Gresham Professor of Geometry at Gresham College, London, where he had a set of rooms and where he lived for the rest of his life. His health deteriorated over the last decade of his life, although one of his biographers wrote that "He was of an active, restless, indefatigable Genius even almost to the last."
Situation ethics works towards a successful end goal which in this case is love, this is pragmatism. The ethic is relativistic which means that there are no fixed rules when choosing what to do but whatever is done must stay relative to the Christian love of agape, making it simple and easy to make decisions accordingly. Positivism is where faith statements are made and people act in a way that is reasonable in the light of these statements. Reason isn’t the basis for faith, but it works within faith. Situation ethics depends on Christians freely choosing faith that god is love, so giving first place to Christian love.
For example, if it is morally wrong to lie, then everyone should never lie. Even if the consequences of a lie are great, it must not be done. Kant’s theory is cold and unemotional. However, Kant viewed this as the best way to make ethical decisions. Kant’s view uses a categorical imperative, in which ethics is based upon an absolute, objective, deontologcial theory, in which intentions are more important than consequences.
Rand says “Reality, the external world, exists independent of man’s consciousness, independent of any observer’s knowledge, beliefs, feelings, desires or fears…” (qtd. The Ayn Rand Institute 1). Consciousness, therefore, is to distinguish reality, not to fashion or form it around a personal belief. Consequently, Objectivists reject all forms of a supernatural or any beliefs unfounded in fact. In the quote below Rand explains why she rejects religion outright, and she believes man himself deserves the attention: Just as religion has preempted the field of ethics, turning morality against man, so it has usurped the highest moral concepts of our language, placing them outside this earth and beyond man’s reach.
Which Aquinas believed reflects the Eternal Law. The Natural Law refers to the moral law of God which has been built into each human nature; however it can be seen by everyone as it does not depend on belief in God as long as you use you reason when faced with a situation then you have done the
Thus, he believes there is no reason why should you live a moral life rather than for one's self. Fidley asks Seltzer one last question, “what motivation for adopting the moral point of view can you possibly offer without a belief in God and immorality?” which leads us to this quote, “When religion tells us that there is nothing more we can say about morality than that we can’t see the reasons for it, but do it if you know what’s good for you, then I do condemn it. We can do better than that. We can become moral grown-ups. And if there were a God, surely he would approve”.
This worldview is quite similar to Christianity. Both Christian theism and EPM’s goal is to reunite with God or Brahman. In EPM there is no right or wrong while in Christian theism one must follow Christian moral values. Furthermore, the major difference that I can notice is that in Christian theism, God loves us as individuals while in EPM individuality means nothing. The best way to be one with Brahman is to do nothing, to achieve nirvana.