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Can You Have Ethics Without God?
Relativism is rampant in western culture. About two-thirds of people in the USA believe that there are no absolutes. About half of “born again” believers agree and only one-tenth of those under 20 years old believe in absolutes. This lecture makes the case against relativism, drawing on some of the leaders of the opposition; Sartre, Wittgenstein, Russell, Derrida, and Rorty, who do a great service by showing us the logical conclusion of their views. There is also a critique of the attempt to create an ethic without God by Kant, John Rawls, and others.
Study Questions
- What is the difference between a sinner and a hypocrite?
- Who is the greatest critic of hypocrisy (religious or otherwise) of all time?
- What are the consequences of denying fixed points for meaning, dignity, and morality?
- What do leading atheists say about the consequences of their views for meaning or morality?
- Do atheists have a basis for affirming human dignity? How can we assert the worth of humans?
- Why will the “cultural move” never work?
- Why do the options come down to SEZ ME, SEZ US, or SEZ God?
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