Question 1

Cahn suggests that some might be made to feel insecure by the knowledge that the world had been planned by an all-good being because they would&#10;A) realize the extent to which their existence depended on the will of that being.&#10;B) realize that it is immoral to eradicate germs, disease-bearing rats, and other natural sources of illness.&#10;C) fear damnation.&#10;D) All of the above

Accepted Answer

Cahn suggests that the insecurity arises from realizing the extent to which their existence depends on the will of an all-good being.

Question 2

Cahn denies that one can base the wrongness of murder on God's existence because&#10;A) perhaps God gave us the potential to murder because murder is right.&#10;B) some things potentially created by God, such as vermin and disease, are not wrong to kill.&#10;C) death is part of life, so perhaps God's gift of life implies a duty to kill.&#10;D) All of the above

Accepted Answer

Cahn argues that basing the wrongness of murder on God's existence is problematic because it assumes that everything associated with God or created by God must be inherently right, which is challenged by the existence of things like vermin and disease that are not considered wrong to kill, and the complex nature of life and death.

Question 3

Cahn asserts that the moral prescriptions in holy books&#10;A) converge.&#10;B) conflict.&#10;C) reveal the will of God.&#10;D) do not reveal the will of God.

Accepted Answer

Cahn argues that moral prescriptions in holy books often conflict with each other, highlighting the diversity and contradictions in religious moral teachings.

Question 4

Cahn notes that, if the good is whatever God commands, to say that God's commands are good amounts to saying&#10;A) God's commands are God's commands.&#10;B) God's commands are reasonable.&#10;C) God's commands reflect what is best for us.&#10;D) None of the above

Accepted Answer

This is a reference to the Euthyphro dilemma, which questions whether something is good because God commands it, or if God commands it because it is good. If the good is simply whatever God commands, then saying "God's commands are good" is essentially saying "God's commands are God's commands," as it becomes a tautology without an independent standard of goodness.

Question 5

Cahn argues that morality&#10;A) depends on belief in God.&#10;B) is incompatible with belief in God.&#10;C) is independent of belief in God.&#10;D) is based in illusion.

Accepted Answer

Cahn argues that morality is independent of belief in God, suggesting that moral principles stand on their own without necessitating the existence of a deity.

Question 6

On Cahn's view, if God exists and something is wrong because that being says so,&#10;A) one is morally obligated to avoid doing it.&#10;B) one should explore alternatives anyway.&#10;C) there is no way to determine whether it is really wrong, after all.&#10;D) anything, however apparently wrong, would be right by definition.

Accepted Answer

Cahn argues that if something is wrong solely because God says so, then anything God declares as right would be right by definition, regardless of its apparent moral status.

Question 7

Cahn argues that proving God's existence would prove the wrongness of harming God's creation.

Accepted Answer

Cahn argues that even if we could prove God's existence, it would not necessarily prove the wrongness of harming God's creation, as the moral implications of God's existence are separate from the existence itself.

Question 8

Cahn describes the essence of his position as &#34;might does not make right.&#34;

Accepted Answer

Cahn's position, emphasizing that just because someone has the power or might to do something, it does not morally justify their actions, aligns with the principle that "might does not make right." This phrase encapsulates the idea that ethical and moral rightness cannot be determined solely by one's power or strength to enforce their will.

Question 9

To say that good is whatever God commands, Cahn argues, is to lose the possibility of meaningfully praising God's goodness.

Accepted Answer

Cahn argues that if good is defined solely as whatever God commands, then calling God good becomes tautological and loses its substantive meaning, as it would simply mean God does what He commands, not that He adheres to an independent standard of goodness.

Question 10

According to Cahn, those who do not believe in the existence of God can be highly moral.

Accepted Answer

Cahn suggests that morality is not solely dependent on belief in God, indicating that individuals can possess strong moral values and ethical behaviors without adhering to religious beliefs or the existence of a deity.

Question 11

Euthyphro's dilemma runs as follows: Is an action wrong because God says so, or does God say so because it is wrong?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Euthyphro's dilemma runs as follows: Is an...

Question 12

According to Cahn, God's existence can serve as the foundation for moral philosophy, at least for those who believe in such a being.

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to Cahn, God's existence can serve...

Question 13

Is it possible to be moral without believing in God? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Is it possible to be moral without...

Question 14

Cahn argues that God's existence would not matter morally. How does he defend this assertion? Do you find his argument compelling? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Cahn argues that God's existence would not...

Question 15

What is the dilemma that Socrates raises in the Euthyphro? Do you think this dilemma poses a damning problem for the divine command theorist? Explain your answer.

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the dilemma that Socrates raises...

Deck 5: God and Morality Steven M.Cahn