The relationship of morality and religion : an investigation of the issue in modern Anglophone philosophy
This thesis seeks to explore the relationship between religion and morality. Traditionally in the West the reality of moral values has been upheld by religion and moral codes legitimised by the belief that they are commanded by God. However, in the present secularised and multi-cultural context, such suppositions are no longer assumed to be true. As a result the nature and status of moral value have been brought into question. In the contemporary situation there are many different views about the nature of moral values, and about how, or even, if, moral values relate to religion. This thesis is written in response to this uncertainty. The aim is to explore and elucidate the nature of moral value and to unravel its connection to religion. The hope is that this thesis will provide some answers concerning the nature of moral values and go some way to prescribing how the relationship between morality and religion should be conceived. This will be done over the course of six chapters. The first chapter examines the contemporary debate between realists and anti-realists. Realists assert that moral values are real and certain and can be discovered, while anti-realists contend that values are invented, either individually
Widdows, Heather
The relationship of morality and religion : an investigation of the issue in modern Anglophone philosophy. This thesis seeks to explore the relationship between religion and morality. Traditionally in the West the reality of moral values has been upheld by religion and moral codes legitimised by the belief that they are commanded by God. However, in the present secularised and multi-cultural context, such suppositions are no longer assumed to be true. As a result the nature and status of moral value have been brought into question. In the contemporary situation there are many different views about the nature of moral values, and about how, or even, if, moral values relate to religion. This thesis is written in response to this uncertainty. The aim is to explore and elucidate the nature of moral value and to unravel its connection to religion. The hope is that this thesis will provide some answers concerning the nature of moral values and go some way to prescribing how the relationship between morality and religion should be conceived. This will be done over the course of six chapters. The first chapter examines the contemporary debate between realists and anti-realists. Realists assert that moral values are real and certain and can be discovered, while anti-realists contend that values are invented, either individually
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