Since the early eighteenth century, theists and secularists
have hotly debated whether moral law requires God. The preponderance of contemporary opinion is
a resounding “no.” Most philosophers,
scientists, and writers about ethics have discarded God. But the theists have not gone away; they have
continued to put forward compelling arguments against the secular theories.
In this s/dg we will examine the arguments on both sides of this very
important debate, as well as some middle grounds. (N. b.: We will not be debating the need for
religion, but rather the need for metaphysical truth.) We will read, among others, W. T. Stace, C.
S. Lewis, George Mavrodes, Thomas Nagel, and Richard Taylor. There will be no core book. A packet of photocopied articles will be
provided. Most of these articles are
written by philosophers, making this a challenging, but rewarding, s/dg.
1. Introduction, part 1: W. T. Stace, "Ethical Relativity (I) [31pp.]
2. Introduction, part 2: W. T. Stace, "Ethical Relativity (II); Joel Feinberg, "Pyschological Egoism"; David Cooper, "Natural Rights Theory"; A. J. M. Milne, "The Idea of Human Rights: A Critical Inquiry"; Alan Gewirth, "Human Rights" [31 pp.]
3. The Secular Perspective, part 1: Michael Martin, "Objections to Morality without Religion" [9 pp.]
4. The Secular Perspective, part 2: Louis P. Pojman, Who Are We?: Theories of Human Nature [24 pp.]
5. Bridges over Troubled Waters: Thomas Nagel, Mind and Cosmos; David Berlinski, "Deniable Darwin"; Yeager Hudson, "The Independence of Religion from Ethics" [39 pp.]
6. The Theistic Persuasion: C. S. Lewis, "The Laws of Human Nature"; George I. Mavrodes, "Religion and the Queerness of Morality"; H. P. Owen, "The Moral Argument for Christian Theism" (23 pp.]
7. Conclusion: Richard Taylor, "From the Senses to God"; C. S. Lewis, "The Cardinal Difficulty with Naturalism"; Thomas Nagel, Mind and Cosmos [31 pp.]