The most popular objection to Divine Command Theory is that it has morally abhorrent consequences.

49. The most popular objection to Divine Command Theory is that it has morally abhorrent consequences. For example, it would be morally good to rape infants for fun if God said that it was morally good to do so. One might be tempted to defend divine command theory by reasoning in the following way: "But God would never say that raping infants for fun is good: raping infants for fun is bad." Why is it, however, that Divine Command Theory is not allowed to give such a response?

(a) To say that "God would not say that x is morally good since x is morally bad" is to say that x being morally bad explains God's saying that x is bad, but the direction of explanation provided by divine command theory is that God's saying that x is bad explains x's being bad.

(b) Such a response contradicts divine command theory, which says that there is nothing inherent in an action that makes it good or bad; the action has the moral standing that it does simply because God chooses to label it good or bad.

(c) Society dictates that God is not allowed to make such a response. (d) a and b

(e) b and c

1. If it is not the case that argument x is a substitution instance of a valid argument form, then it must have an invalid form.—T or F?

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2. Describe a scenario in which an ethical egoist would say that killing someone would be wrong. And then describe a scenario in which the ethical egoist might say that killing someone is morally right.

3. How do ethical skepticism and ethical nihilism differ?