14 June 2007

Euthyphro dilemma: Open to discussion

"Is the pious (τὸ ὅσιον) loved by the gods because it is pious, or is it pious because it is loved by the gods?"

In monotheism terms:
"Is what is good commanded by God because it is good, or is it good because it is commanded by God?"

If we take the first horn of the dilemma, then we seem committed to the idea that "goodness" precedes God and limits the sorts of things he can command. It infringes upon his sovereignty and omnipotence since it makes his willing subject to an independent moral form. God then becomes little more than a passer-on of moral knowledge.

If we take the second horn of the dilemma, then "goodness" seems arbitrary: if "goodness" comes to nothing more than "willed by God" and if God can will anything, than anything can, in principle, be good. Also, it implies that calling God good makes no sense.

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I have my opinion on this dilemma but let me discuss that later. Tell me what you think first.

18 comments:

  1. 尤西弗羅困境,之前係forum見到人提過,有趣的問題。

    我是不可知論者,認為就算有神祂(們)也不會對世界運作作出干預,所以我完全不接受「神是道德原則之源」的說法。

    不過我覺得就算神為「善」或「道德」所規限,也無損神的全能性--祂(們)有做的能力,只是不做吧了。

    對了,說到全能,上堂有講到石頭悖論嗎?想聽聽你的看法。

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  2. 石頭悖論 is a different thing. Logically the statement is contradictory and therefore invalid. It has nothing to do with God or not.

    God does not bound to logic, of coz, but human description and understanding is bound to language and logic.

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  3. btw,le le你的中文太犀利了,怎麼全都可以譯做中文的啊。。。把David hume's problem of induction也譯了吧。。。XD

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  4. 「(全能的)X能否做一舊自己舉不起的石頭?」

    你說得對,石頭悖論不關神的事,其目的是要指出「全能」觀念隱含矛盾,不過神通常被假設為全能,所以問時都把神代入「X」比較直接了當~

    不過不是很明白你說「Logically the statement is contradictory」的意思,statement是指……?

    在這裡再說這個問題好像有點跑題了,不過這個問題實在太出名,好像拗了很多年還是爭持不下,所以想看看你上堂有沒有碰到過,有的話怎樣解。

    其實很視乎「omnipotence」的定義是什麼。有人認為是可以做一切邏輯之內可能的事,有人認為就像你說的「God does not bound to logic」,所以什麼都能做。但後者的話神對人類來說是不是沒意義,因為人類對神的理解只能建基於邏輯之上?

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  5. 我不是犀利啦,只是第一次碰到這個東東是在中文的forum,那個人都是用中文……-.-" 真是好別扭!

    David hume's problem of induction <- 仲未見到有人用中文講過,不過根據巴別魚的說法(加自己再執):「大衛享姆的歸納問題」?

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  6. 石頭悖論 is a different thing. Logically the statement is contradictory and therefore invalid. It has nothing to do with God or not.

    公主真的對哲學很有興趣呢^^

    關於你上述的說法, 我想說幾點:
    1 一般來說石頭問題是以一個問題的方式提出 - "全能的上帝是否能夠造出一塊祂搬不起的石頭?" 而不是陳述句 statement

    2 問題是沒有所謂矛盾的

    3 一個矛盾句是錯的, 但不會不對確或無效invalid, 因為invalid只是用來描述論證,意思是即使它的所有前提皆真,結論也有可能是假


    我都討論過石頭問題,不知你有沒有看過
    (當然我認為從來沒有人真的能夠解決這個問題)
    [url=http://rlkh.blogspot.com/2005/06/blog-post_14.html]盲炳的故事[/url]
    [url=http://rlkh.blogspot.com/2005/06/sf.html]回應 sf 有關石頭問題的提問 [/url]

    ps 一般人都會把Hume譯作休姆/休謨

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  7. 3 一個矛盾句是錯的, 但不會不對確或無效invalid, 因為invalid只是用來描述論證,意思是即使它的所有前提皆真,結論也有可能是假

    I agree. After i type that, I thought I should use another word instead of invalid because "invalid" has a special state in describing argument. However I was too lazy to change it.

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  8. 休姆... that sounds like some monster name in RPG game... XD

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  9. Roger:
    你寫架?好犀利,分析得很清楚,尤其是竊取論點個段,通常都係見人話「你竊取論點了」,但好少有咁詳細的example。反咬別人竊取論點我係forum倒是未見過。
    仲有,我好喜歡山埃強的故事,哈哈,不過我唔明點解有兩個e就係b喎。
    話時話睇睇下我突然想起Kissing Hank's Ass(親吻漢克的屁股)的故事,睇過未?
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDp7pkEcJVQ

    亨姆<-我老作的 xD 漢姆比較正統,也符合國語的發音。

    喬:
    正是-_-,好似街邊酒吧老版的名字,同我而家玩緊個「layton教授與不思議之町」個感覺好夾。個game d人名全部都係英文,想像緊漢化後……而家打到最後一章,加油!

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  10. L, 老雷係勁人黎架!不過我睇唔明太長既中文哲學文,我D中文仲有待改進。。。幸好老雷間唔中都會打英文就下我。

    竊取論題 = begging the question (fallacy)?

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  11. 不過我唔明點解有兩個e就係b喎。

    1->a, 2->b, 3->c, 4->d

    so 2 E, -> b :D

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  12. :o 雷兄是在香港讀哲學的嗎?

    哲學的東東,我從來都睇明。中文睇唔明的時後scan到半版就訓著了,英文更加睇唔明,索性唔睇。:D

    竊取論題 = begging the question (fallacy)?
    係呀。
    第一次見到begging the question呢個詞時,腦中就浮現一個丐幫的兄台在路邊拿著兜說:「求下做下好心,俾d question我呀……」
    奇怪為什麼wikipedia的「begging the question」會link到中文的「循環論證」,「循環論證」不是「circular argument」嗎?兩者有點像,但好像是不同的東西?

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  13. 雷叔叔study PhD in philosophy and teach philosophy la...

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  14. 1) 「begging the question」會link到中文的「循環論證」,「循環論證」不是「circular argument」嗎?兩者有點像,但好像是不同的東西?


    它們是相同的東西 =)

    2) 1->a, 2->b, 3->c, 4->d
    so 2 E, -> b :D

    因為...2個,咪即係 b 囉....
    其實個point正正係話佢只係亂咁附會
    而明眼人一睇就知無0黎啦更咁囉...^_^

    ps....我只是代那個我認識的"雷叔叔"回答Auntie Stardust 的....

    R小朋友

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  15. 暈,好亂。
    到底誰是誰?

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  16. 對了,好像離題太遠了。

    樓上的樓上的兄台(已經搞不清是誰XD)和喬說說對「尤西弗羅困境」的看法啦~

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  17. 噢,忘了謝謝R兄關於「circular argument」和「begging the question」的解答。

    兩個很不同的名字,而且人通常都只提一個不提另一個,等我都以為是不一樣的東西~:)

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  18. L, it's only Roger/雷叔叔 here. He always pretend he is young... Or he is role playing as his son :D

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