jwright82
Puritan Board Post-Graduate
Reason fails to be an authority in a moral sense because it is impossible to decide the moral "oughtness" of two contrary ethical beliefs on reason alone. It is my opinion that all ethical theories will go back, logically, to some basic Kantian idea of ethics. Let me explain.
If you take reason to be the sole decider in ethical matters than you run into a serious problem. For example I was debating a couple of self described moral Kantians who told me that reason alone could decide between conflicting ethical views. So I asked them then what the rational difference was between these two statements:
1. It is morally wrong to murder someone
2. It is morally right to murder someone
I pointed out to them that these two sentinces make perfect rational sense. They were puzzeled and said that statement 2 had to be wrong. So I said well how is it irrational? What logical fallacy does it commit? Again no answer. The problem is that to some unbelievers reason is the ultimate authority in their lives, and this is mistaken. I think that we have to remember that reason is a tool given to us by God to understand his world and word.
Another example. Some might point out that an ethical theory like utilitarianism, pragmatism, or naturalistic theories seem to have some other basis or criteria for "good" (greatest good or what works). But they all degenerate back to assuming that reason can decide in an objective fashon what is good and bad. They are nothing more than abitray and subjective opinions of the person holding the theory. Since reason has failed, at least, as an ultimate authority in moral matters this is an excellant line of defense for any christian engaged in the apologetical pursuit.
If an opponant seems to claim that reason is the ultimate authority in his or her life then press them on the ethical issue and reveal that reason has failed them here. You then can lay out why only on a christian basis can we distinguish between good and bad. I'll explain.
God as the creator has the right to demand certian behaviours from his creatures, for no other purpose than to reflect his charector as image bearers. He does not look to some trancsendant moral code above or beyond Him to decide what is right or wrong nor does he simply abitrarly pick and choose for no good reason. He defines what is right and wrong, these words make no sense outside of his revealation. You see unbelieving moral theories made good in some form an intrinsic catagory but in christianity it is relational to God's will. Something is only good if it lines up with what God has declared is good. I hope this helps anybody and ask me to clarify if something doesn't make sense.
If you take reason to be the sole decider in ethical matters than you run into a serious problem. For example I was debating a couple of self described moral Kantians who told me that reason alone could decide between conflicting ethical views. So I asked them then what the rational difference was between these two statements:
1. It is morally wrong to murder someone
2. It is morally right to murder someone
I pointed out to them that these two sentinces make perfect rational sense. They were puzzeled and said that statement 2 had to be wrong. So I said well how is it irrational? What logical fallacy does it commit? Again no answer. The problem is that to some unbelievers reason is the ultimate authority in their lives, and this is mistaken. I think that we have to remember that reason is a tool given to us by God to understand his world and word.
Another example. Some might point out that an ethical theory like utilitarianism, pragmatism, or naturalistic theories seem to have some other basis or criteria for "good" (greatest good or what works). But they all degenerate back to assuming that reason can decide in an objective fashon what is good and bad. They are nothing more than abitray and subjective opinions of the person holding the theory. Since reason has failed, at least, as an ultimate authority in moral matters this is an excellant line of defense for any christian engaged in the apologetical pursuit.
If an opponant seems to claim that reason is the ultimate authority in his or her life then press them on the ethical issue and reveal that reason has failed them here. You then can lay out why only on a christian basis can we distinguish between good and bad. I'll explain.
God as the creator has the right to demand certian behaviours from his creatures, for no other purpose than to reflect his charector as image bearers. He does not look to some trancsendant moral code above or beyond Him to decide what is right or wrong nor does he simply abitrarly pick and choose for no good reason. He defines what is right and wrong, these words make no sense outside of his revealation. You see unbelieving moral theories made good in some form an intrinsic catagory but in christianity it is relational to God's will. Something is only good if it lines up with what God has declared is good. I hope this helps anybody and ask me to clarify if something doesn't make sense.