Divine Command Theory

The Divine Command Theory is the concept that God commands X; therefore, X is morally permissible. This concept brings about a series of question; the most prominent of which is the dialog found in the Euthyphro which states: “Is the pios loved by the gods because it is pious, or is it pious because it is loved by the gods?” In monotheistic terms it would be transcribed as follows “Is what is moral commanded by God because it is moral, or is it moral because it is commanded by God?” For the theist this presents a dilemmas that requires an explanation of why all moral things are moral and why that would cause God to look upon them with such favor. Conversely, it also requires an explanation of why God would command something that seems to have no moral truth.

The atheist may utilize the previous dilemma as an argument against the theist. This could be done as follows:
1. X is moral.
2. Thus, God must command X.
This causes God’s omnipotence and omniscience to be severely limited. This is due to 1,2 because God could not command Y which is not moral instead of X because he would be commanding something beside what is moral (pious). Thus, his omnipotence is limited to choosing only X and not Y. Furthermore, his omniscience is limited; this is due to the fact that the knowledge that God possesses about moral concepts etc. is limited to the obvious qualities that X or Y hold. Now if one simply responds by saying whatever an omnipotent/omniscient being says is good must surly be good already and must become good due to God’s power making it so. This beings about some further logical problems. For example, one could say that God could then create world A that holds as virtues murder, rape, incest, genocide, hate, racism, and things such as: love, charity, etc are held as vices.

St. Thomas Aquinas stated that the dilemma is false: yes, God commands something because it is good, but the reason it is good is that “good is an essential part of God’s nature”. So goodness is grounded in God’s character and merely expressed in moral commands. Therefore whatever a good God commands will always be good.
I personally think that Aquinas has made a valid point. However, I would like to propose my own solution to the dilemma present in the Euthyphro. It is a follows: If God is omniscient/omni benevolent, then God must know weather X is moral or not moral, and weather X is beneficial or not beneficial to the state of men. I feel that there are certain truths and laws that exist that are eternal and exhibit qualities/properties that make them moral or not. So, if God is characteristically good, then God could only command that which is good. Therefore, that which he commands must exhibit properties that are good. This idea that God commands men to follow that which is good does not make God limited or = to man’s ability to make moral decisions; actually, it demonstrates God’s omniscient qualities because he possesses the ability and goodness to help man know what concept/truth/law possesses the desired properties that improve man’s existence.