Is an Ethics without God Possible?
A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444). This special issue belongs to the section "Religions and Humanities/Philosophies".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 July 2025 | Viewed by 542
Special Issue Editor
Interests: moral and political philosophy; philosophy of religion
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The two previous Special Issues of Religions that I guest-edited confronted the following questions: “Is the God of traditional theism logically compatible with all the evil in the world?” (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/religions/special_issues/god_compatible_evil) and “Do we now have a logical argument from evil? (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/religions/special_issues/evil)” This third Special Issue will address a related question—“Is an ethics without God possible?”
Notably, some theists maintain that an (objective) ethics can only be grounded either in God’s commands or in his nature. These same theists, along with some atheists, maintain that an (objective) ethics without God is not possible. Other theists maintain, along with still other atheists, that an (objective) ethics must be grounded in a standard that does not depend on the existence of God for its justification. For these theists, along with like-minded atheists, an (objective) ethics without God is possible. Which view, therefore, is correct? Contributors to this Special Issue must defend one of the available alternatives over the others, and, in doing so, it may be helpful to consider the view I defend in “An Ethics without God that is Compatible with Darwinian Evolution” (published in Religions: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/15/7/781). Contributors are also encouraged to examine the contributions of two other completed Special Issues of Religions on the topics of “God and Ethics”, (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/religions/special_issues/A00AZSX32V) and “God, Ethics and Christian Traditions" (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/religions/special_issues/god_ethics_traditions). Nevertheless, these are only recommendations; what is important is that contributors defend one of the available alternatives over the others.
Prof. Dr. James P. Sterba
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- God’s commands
- God’s nature
- objective ethics
- theism
- atheism
- Darwinian evolution
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