What is a Divine Command Theory of Ethics?
In basic terms, a divine command theory (DCT) of ethics holds that what is morally right depends on (or is simply a matter of) God’s commands, or more broadly, God’s will. There exists a diversity of DCTs, since the nature of this relationship can be construed in more than one way, but if any strong relationship between moral rightness on God’s will exists, then the theory you are dealing wiith is a DCT of some sort. The relationship between God’s will and moral rightness could be one of determination, whereby an action is right because God commands it. It could be a relationship of identity, whereby the property of rightness is the property of being willed by God, or it could be something else. There is, of course, room for development within DCTs, and more varieties may yet be proposed, so I have no intention of offering an exhaustive taxonomy. One obvious reason that a person – an atheist – might not think that a DCT has much going for it is that it entails that God exists. Any help
