Does morality depend on God for its legitimacy? Specifically, is an action right (or wrong) because God commands that it be so-or is it right (or wrong) independent of God's commands, so that God must in fact answer to the moral law? The view that morality does depend on God is known as the "divine command theory," and Rachels critiques it in this reading. He argues that this conception of morality is false and that neither the theist nor the nontheist should accept it.
-St. Thomas Aquinas accepted the divine command theory.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

St. Thomas Aquinas did not accept the divine command theory in its pure form; instead, he believed that morality is rooted in the eternal law of God, which is rational and part of God's essence, rather than being arbitrary commands from God. Aquinas held that natural law, which humans can understand through reason, participates in the eternal law.

Does Morality Depend on God for Its Legitimacy? Specifically, Is