Examine the reasons for the view that morality is based upon religion

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Examine the reasons for the view that morality is based upon religion

Many different philosophers have argued the question of Morality and religion and come up with lots of different answers over many years. To a religious person the idea that you should act in accordance to Gods will sounds perfectly normal, They believe that God is the creator of the universe, and that in some ways humans owe God for there creation and therefore should act in accordance with God’s wishes.

However some people will disagree with this and argue that morality is human instinct, or that morality is taught to people as they grow up.

In Plato’s Euthyphro Socrates says “Consider this question: is what is pious loved by the Gods because it is pious, or is it pious because it is loved?” This means is something moral because it is what God says should be done, or is it moral because it is the right thing to do weather god has commanded it or not. R.B. Braithwaite said that to be religious is to be moral; He also said that when someone converts to religion they would have a reorientation of the will, meaning that when someone converts to religion it will take priority over things in that person’s life that did not take priority before.

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Immanuel Kant said, “The categorical imperative pointed to God. The feeling that we ought to do something comes from God.” Kant also spoke of the Summum bonum – greatest good. He said that this couldn’t be achieved in this imperfect world so there must be another world so there must be another world where our immortal souls can achieve this. For Kant there is no morality without God because without God’s help the moral law cannot be satisfied.

Many philosophers say that feelings of guilt come from God. Joseph Butler said “conscience is our natural guide given to us by ...

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