Moral

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  • Created by: Maisie97
  • Created on: 13-05-15 19:43

Kant.

Believed in god but said a human could not prove gods existence - argument is an attempt to explain why humans believe god is the original source of morality.

1.  all beings instinctively know a moral law

2.  the best reward which could happen for behaving morlly is the combination of perfect happiness and perfect goodness - summum bonum

3.  summum bonum must be achieveable because we wont strive for something out of our reach

4.  but we dont clearly see summum bonum in this life - we often do good things but dont feel happy about it

5.  so summum bonum must be achiveable in the next life

6.  if it is achieveable in the next life there must be someone to provide it - god

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Weaknesses of Kant.

Summum bonum must exist because we wouldnt aim for something we cant achieve - just because we wish for something doesnt mean it would happen

Davies argues that it might not be the traditional idea of god that provides summum bonum - could be the team of gods of even someone who is superior to human power

Kants argument is built on assumption that life isnt fair  - we might not be rewarded for moral behaviour

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Freud.

Didnt believ that morality comes from god - believed that the while idea of rligion ad god was an illusion

Unlike Kant, Freud argued that thre was no universal moral law - believed that everyone makes their own moral desicions dependant on experiences and upbringing

Freud explained his theory about how we make moral desicions thrugh his belif that the mind can be divided into three parts:

1. the id - focused on our basic desires, hunger, agression

2. the ego - much more organised and realistic, rational and capable of ontrolling the id

3. the superego - more moral desicions are made, heavily inflienced by parents and upbrining

Oedipus Complex - part of us which wants to murder our fathers and sleep with our mothers.  Story of the oedipus complec.  Freud argued causes much unconsious guilt and therefore influences the moral decisions we make.

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Weaknesses of Freud.

Little or no emprical evidence to support Freud's theories

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