2. ANNOUNCEMENTS Dr. Tim McGrew Historicity of the Gospels Nov 11 th Leadership Positions Available MSC Tabling Positions Available

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4. THE ABSURDITY OF LIFE WITHOUT GOD

5. MORAL ARGUMENT Ratio Christi Texas A&M

6. MORAL ARGUMENT: BACKGROUND Type of Argument:Type of Argument: Transcendental argument: Argues the existence of God is plausible given your basic beliefs

7. THE ARGUMENT STATED 1.If God does not exist, then objective moral values and duties do not exist. 2. Objective moral values and duties do exist.2. Objective moral values and duties do exist. 3.Therefore, God exists.3.Therefore, God exists.

8. DEFINITIONS Moral values = value judgements good or badgood or bad Moral duties = obligationsMoral duties = obligations You ought to…You ought to… Objectivity is independent of people i.e. true for all people, at all times, and all places, regardless of belief.

9. OBJECTION: MORAL NIHILISM Defined: morality does not existDefined: morality does not exist Objectivism is a properly basic belief Any argument for moral skepticism will be based upon premises which are less obvious than the existence of objective moral values themselves. - Louise Antony Objectivism is not the same as popular agreement e.g. most people used to believe slavery was morally right e.g. most people used to believe the Earth was flat

10. OBJECTION: ATHEISTS ARE GOOD Defined: there are good people who do not believe in God Conflates belief in God with actual existence of God Either (1) or (2) must be refuted and a system must be proposed with the following characteristics explains the existence of objective moral values explains the existence of objective moral duties grounded independently from the existence of God.

11. SYSTEM: UTILITARIANISM Defined: an action is right if it maximizes happiness and reduces suffering Fails to account for the existence of moral values; merely asserts an arbitrary definition Why only humanity’s suffering and happiness?

12. SYSTEM: EVOLVING MORALITY Defined: our feelings of moral intuition are, like any biological adaptation, completely attributable to the process of evolution No problem with explaining the origin of morality! Fails to account for objectivity of morality i.e. moral values are contingent on the random occurrences in evolution

13. OBJECTION: EUTHYPHRO DILEMMA Defined: the theist faces the dilemma that either morality is arbitrary or external to God False dilemma; there are other options Perfect Being Theology - God is necessarily good

14. QUESTIONS?