Skeptical Theism, Moral Skepticism, and Divine Commands

International Journal for the Study of Skepticism, Vol. 3, pp. 77-96, 2013

20 Pages Posted: 12 Aug 2013

See all articles by Scott F. Aikin

Scott F. Aikin

Vanderbilt University - Philosophy Department

Brian Ribeiro

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga - Department of Philosophy & Religion

Date Written: August 9, 2013

Abstract

Over the last twenty-five years skeptical theism has become one of the leading contemporary responses to the atheological argument from evil. However, more recently, some critics of skeptical theism have argued that the skeptical theists are in fact unwittingly committed to a malignant form of moral skepticism. Several skeptical theists have responded to this critique by appealing to divine commands as a bulwark against the alleged threat of moral skepticism. In this paper we argue that the skeptical theists’ appeal to divine commands fails to rescue their position from the threat of a worrisome form of moral skepticism.

Keywords: skeptical theism, moral skepticism, divine commands, divine command theory, problem of evil

Suggested Citation

Aikin, Scott F. and Ribeiro, Brian, Skeptical Theism, Moral Skepticism, and Divine Commands (August 9, 2013). International Journal for the Study of Skepticism, Vol. 3, pp. 77-96, 2013, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2308009

Scott F. Aikin

Vanderbilt University - Philosophy Department ( email )

2301 Vanderbilt Place
Nashville, TN 37240
United States

Brian Ribeiro (Contact Author)

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga - Department of Philosophy & Religion ( email )

Department of Philosophy & Religion (#2753)
615 McCallie Ave.
Chattanooga, TN 37403
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.brian-ribeiro.com

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