AbstractsPhilosophy & Theology

Morality in a Modern World

by Kristian Kragh




Institution: Roskilde University
Department:
Year: 2014
Keywords: Morality; Ethics; Secular; Religion; Sam Harris; J.L. Mackie; Shelly Kagan; Deontology; Deontological; Utilitarianism; Consequentialism; Welfare Hedonism; Welfarism; Objective; Values; Kristian Kragh; Philosophy; Normative Ethics; Atheism; Secular Societies; God; Gods; Christianity; Islam; Judaism
Record ID: 1122247
Full text PDF: http://rudar.ruc.dk/handle/1800/13536


Abstract

In this project we are questioning whether or not we can talk of objective moral values without appealing to a god. We go through the ethical theories of Utilitarianism and Deontology and then analyses two writers; Sam Harris that argues for the existence of a secular objective morality and John Leslie Mackie that argues against an objective morality. We then discuss their views and ends up concluding that there can be no objective morals without the existence of consciousness, but as long as we are talking about human consciousness, it makes sense to talk about objective values.