What is absolutism?
The doctrine that certain actions are always wrong no matter how good the
consequences will be.
What is consequentalism?
The doctrine that an action is right if it does the least possible damage.
Can we believe both?
No. It has to be one or the other. It is the difference between saying you
should not steal to feed your children and saying you should.
But moral absolutism does look at consequences?
Yes - it argues that the bad results do not make the action bad but arise from the action being bad in the first place.
What is relativism?
It is the doctrine that right and wrong don't really exist in themselves and are
cultural constructs. It is
not an option. It is foolish for it says we can make actions good by wanting
them to be good.
Is absolutism inconsistent?
Yes. Absolutists may say that birth control is never justifiable even in
self-defence while killing is. They put a moral veneer on their vicious
prejudices. There is no reason why say blasphemy could be always wrong while
killing may sometimes be right. Absolutists never agree on what to forbid.
Is belief in God important if consequentalism is true?
No. Then you would have to agree that sometimes people need to not believe and
than it all depends on the results. Belief in God and the bigotry of absolutism
go together.
Do believers in God divide good deeds into those that are obligatory (duties) or
those that go beyond duty (supererogation)?
Yes. They say you have a duty to keep a promise for example. They deny that you
have a duty to take a wife and have children even if you are very eligible! That
is an example of supererogation.
What does duty imply?
Duty implies a person should be forced to carry it out if necessary and should
not be praised for doing their duty but they should be condemned if they do not
try to do it properly. Doing good you are not bound to do is considered
praiseworthy.
What is positive duty and negative duty?
Positive duty is when I owe somebody good for the good they did me - eg pay
workers for working for me. Negative duty is when I am bound not to do
something. I am bound for example not to defraud my labourers.
FINALLY
What is supererogation?
It is the teaching that there are many kinds of good you do not have to do. For
example, if you keep your money for a cup of coffee you could do without and
ignore the beggar who asks for help that is not a sin or wrong.
Can supererogation exist if there is a God?
Not if religion is right to say we owe him a perfectly good life as a debt for
all he has done for us in making us and sustaining us and loving us. Everything
we do is a duty to him then.