Question

question 1
the divine command theory (dct) is based in the belief that morality is grounded in
○ 1. the goodness of god
○ 2. good works
○ 3. the will of god
○ 4. prayer

question 2
nlt holds that just as gravity is a natural law, so there are moral laws that
○ 1. dictate how we should live
○ 2. hold that behaviors are right when they are in accord with what is natural
○ 3. follow a divinely inspired rational plan
○ 4. all the above

question 3
rachels finds that nlt overstates it case, in that religious beliefs are seen as optional in the face of the power of ___ in moral decision making
○ 1. persuasion
○ 2. reason
○ 3. the will of god
○ 4. none of the above

question 4
ultimately, rachels argues that divine command theory fails because we must admit that there is a standard of right and wrong that is independent of gods will.
○ true
○ false

question 5
the natural law theory (nlt) claims that values and meaning are
○ 1. dictated to us by gods commandments
○ 2. in the nature of the world
○ 3. human made

Explanation:

• Question 1: The Divine Command Theory (DCT) posits that morality is based on the will of God. It is not about the goodness of God in an abstract sense (not just being good but acting through will), good works are an outcome of following God's will in some religious - moral frameworks but not the basis of DCT, and prayer is a means of communication with God, not the foundation of morality in DCT.
• Question 2: Natural Law Theory (NLT) holds that moral laws dictate how we should live (as natural laws like gravity govern physical existence, moral laws govern human conduct). Behaviors are right when in accord with what is natural (a key tenet of NLT - natural = moral in its framework). Also, NLT often posits that there is a divinely inspired rational plan (e.g., in some Christian - based NLT, God's rational design of the world includes moral laws). So all the options are correct.
• Question 3: Rachels argues that in moral decision - making, reason has power, and religious beliefs (which are central to NLT) are seen as optional in the face of rational analysis. Persuasion is a weaker concept than reason in this context, and the will of God is what NLT emphasizes, which Rachels is critiquing.
• Question 4: Rachels does argue that for DCT to be coherent, we have to assume an independent standard of right and wrong. If God's will is the only standard, then if God willed something arbitrary (by human standards) it would be moral. But to avoid this arbitrariness, we implicitly assume an independent standard.
• Question 5: NLT claims that values and meaning are in the nature of the world. It is not dictated by God's commandments in the same way as DCT (NLT is more about discovering the natural order which includes moral order). And it is not human - made in the sense of being a construct; it is discovered from the natural (and often divinely - created) world.

Answer:

1. 3. The will of God
2. 4. All the above
3. 2. Reason
4. True
5. 2. In the nature of the world