Analysis Of Divine Command Theory Philosophy Essay

Analysis Of Divine Command Theory Philosophy Essay Divine command theory is an ethical view based on theism or the belief that God exists. Followers of the theory accept that all moral judgment is derived from an understanding of God’s character or his direct commandments. In other words, â€Å"what is in accordance with God’s command is moral and what is contrary to that command is immoral† (Farnell, 2005). The holy books of each religion (e.g. The Bible, Koran, and Torah) contain God’s directions. Therefore, they can be used as guides to distinguish between morally good and bad actions. The idea that ethics and religion are connected is far-reaching, and it leads us to examine religion’s role in our society. Advantages Although divine command theory has been rejected as a working ethical theory, there are a few ways in which it does provide an advantage as an ethical framework. First, God’s commands set forth universal moral rules. The rules can be applied to anyone, at all times and place s. The belief that God is eternal and never changes means that his commands are as relevant today as when they were first recorded. Second, God’s commands don’t depend on what others think are right or wrong. His commands are completely objective. For example, one of God’s commandments is not to commit murder (Exodus 21:13). Even if your friends believe that murder is acceptable (for instance, capital punishment), they are still wrong because their beliefs oppose God’s will. Under this theory, morality exists outside of human reasoning because God is the ultimate authority. Third, if you disobey God, you will be punished. If you follow his commands, you’ll be rewarded. God is both omnipotent and omnipresent. If you choose to disobey, your punishment is inescapable. If you obey, God will bless you with eternal life and a place in heaven. Those who believe have a strong incentive to follow his commands. Finally, traditional religions are centuries ol d and have recorded many of God’s commands. Religious texts allow us to know and understand the character of God, and they make it easier to know how to act morally. For Christian believers, the Word of God is in The Bible and they are secure in the concrete, moral teachings written in its pages. Critiques There are several reasons why divine command theory falls short as a working ethical viewpoint. One objection focuses on the sheer number of world religions and their different interpretations of the nature of God (or their gods). How does a divine command theorist know that their God’s commands are the right ones to follow? It is impossible to prove that the insights of Allah overrule the laws of Yahweh. Even within Christianity, a schism has existed between Catholic and Protestant believers since The Reformation in 1517. Under divine command theory only one religion can be correct and the followers of that God are the only ones leading moral lives (Austin, 2006). T his leads into the next objection. God’s commands can be easily misconstrued. That is, how do we determine the correct interpretation of the sacred texts? When God states that we should not commit murder, does that mean murder is always immoral, or should we take into account the specific context in which God gave this command? During this process of interpretation, we are actually exercising our own sense of morality. We must rely on our own understanding of God’s goodness and act on moral laws we deem consistent with God’s commands (Adams, 1999). We cannot take ourselves completely out of the picture when determining God’s position on ethical issues.

Introduction to Marketing and Communications Essay

Introduction to Marketing and Communications - Essay Example segments and what it takes to define those market segments properly and adequately; tweaking various elements of the marketing mix to position products for individual target markets. The intent is to provide a template that Mega Bastard Corporation can use to explore the marketing of all kinds of products from a good grasp of marketing management fundamentals and basic models and processes contained therein (Bray; Sarvary; Oxford Learning Lab). The marketing environment consists of those external factors to a firm that impact the ability of the firm to undertake marketing activities. These are external circumstances, conditions, and realities that firms must face up to, and must take as givens, in crafting marketing strategies, and in coming up with viable product and business ideas. The fundamental component of a survey of the marketing environment for Mega Bastard Corporation are the micro environment and the macro environment. As the names suggest, the macro environment relates to the big picture factors that impact firm activities, and a good model for capturing the macro environment is the PESTLE analysis, which is a shorthand for the political, economic, socio-cultural, technological, legal and environmental factors that impact business and marketing strategies. The micro environment factors on the other hand relate to more immediate factors that impact firm activities, relationships, and operations, and a good model that captures the relevant micro environmental factors are the Five Forces Framework or Model of Porter. These Five Forces model looks at the level of competition, the bargaining power of buyers, the bargaining power of suppliers, the threat of substitutes, and the threat of new entrants into an industry. In the context of Mega Bastard Corporation’s foray into bionic limbs, the Five Forces analysis and the PESTLE analysis would be able to determine the nature of the marketing environment within which any marketing plan must prove its mettle

Why did (west) Germany experience a smoother consolidation of Essay

Why did (west) Germany experience a smoother consolidation of democracy after World War Two than has Mexico more recently - Essay Example democracy can be used to define the power of the people to elect the government representative that is capable of enacting just judgment without prejudice and hate freely. A democratic society allows individuals to experience the freedom without limitations on the choices they make in achieving progress. The people are the makers of a nation, and their policies need to be met without causing discomfort to attribute a free society. Dictatorship, corruption and poor power delegation have been some measures that have led to the unjust policies that limit democracy. Once democracy is achieved, individuals are capable of having their demands met by the government selected and express their desire openly through the personality that they have elected or through the free media. Monarchy and a dictatorship-filled government have been expressed as the systems that limit public participation in policymaking. Germany had defined the society that lacks democracy under their tyrannical leader Hit ler. Hitler had implemented efforts to conquer the world and ruled his nation with policies that he had formulated to benefit his selfish desires. On the other hand, Mexico has been struggling to achieve development even after achieving independence from the Spanish to define a poverty level that warrants intervention. This paper compares the democracy achievement of (west) Germany as compared to the modern day Mexico. Second World War, 1939-1945 had been blamed on the efforts by Hitler to expand his boundaries and gain domination of the world. Hitler had been defeated to lead to the rise of a new Germany attributed to the republic of Bonn (Prowe 1985, p451). This period had been marked with a period of crisis, which was mostly marked with increased political and social chaos. The nation had been used to the rule of the dictator who gave limited room for expression and discriminated against the Jews who were in war against the Nazi. The compositions that had defined Germany had been