1. Does our moral awareness come from God?
The Moral Argument
Does our moral awareness come from God?

2. Kant’s moral argument
There is an objective moral law that we must obey
The categorical imperative
Determine by reason alone
Doing our duty for duty’s sake

3. Kant’s moral argument
We are required to attain the summum bonum (the highest good)
Reason tells us that obedience should bring about the summum bonum
But sometimes our obedience can lead to misinterpretation
This can lead to more suffering
The summum bonum must involve both perfect virtue and perfect happiness

4. Kant’s moral argument
We can only be obliged to do something that we can actually do
Kant’s assumption
We must be able to fulfil our obligation

5. Kant’s moral argument
We cannot reach the summum bonum with the assistance of God
We are not the cause of the world
We do not have the power to achieve SB
Even if we could achieve perfect morality we cannot guarantee connecting it with perfect happiness

6. Kant’s moral argument
Since we are obliged to attain the summum bonum, God must exist to ensure that we can achieve that which we are obliged to do.
If we cannot attain the SB on our own we need help
It follows that such help must be the best and must therefore be God

7. Agreement with Kant John Hick H P Owen Aquinas
To recognise moral claims as taking precedence over all other interests is, implicitly, to believe in a reality of some kind, other than the natural world, that is superior to oneself and entitled to one’s obedience… This is at least a move in the direction of God.
John Hick Philosophy of religion, 1990
H P Owen
‘It is impossible to think of a command without thinking of a commander’
Aquinas
God wrote the laws into the design of the world

8. Freud’s criticisms
If there is no moral obligation the argument collapses
If we do not need to attain that which is beyond our grasp we do not need God
Freud claimed that our apparent obligation comes from the mind

9. Freud’s criticisms Our sense of moral obligation comes from:
Our super ego that is our subconscious
It is due to a conflict
Between our desires and
Society and parents
Parents teach morals
Subconscious desires
Society demands
E.G.
Murder
Care
Super ego
ego
Conscious mediator

10. Other objections to Kant
People disagree as to what the moral laws are
E.g. should you tell a lie to protect a person’s life?
The categorical imperative says no
W D Ross argues that the life is of more importance
Cultural relativists
Morality is based on cultural expectations

11. Other objections to Kant
Erikson and Fromm
Moral awareness is based on that what is of value to us
Brian Davies
Not illogical to aim for something beyond our grasp
Does not have to be the Classical theistic God who helps

12. Putting it altogether
Write bullet points that show how you would go about answering the following exam question:
Explain Kant’s version of the moral argument (33)
‘The moral argument proves nothing more than the desirability of there being a God.’ Discuss (17)