Course XIV of the Certified Godhunter Series
This course explores the philosophical proposition that objective moral values and duties are inextricably grounded in the nature of God. We will treat this search as an inquiry into the nature of reality itself, asking if the “Good” is a human invention, a biological accident, or a feature of the universe as real as gravity. Students will master the formal deductive Moral Argument, address major counter-arguments like the Euthyphro Dilemma, and explore how Natural Law serves as the foundation for Western legal systems and human rights.
Each of our courses are divided into 10 classes corresponding to the 10 chapters of the textbook assigned to the course. Each class has four lessons.Each of our courses are divided into 10 classes corresponding to the 10 chapters of the textbook assigned to the course. Each class has four lessons.
Meet Your AI Tutor: Prof. Dr. Nemo LXON
Your 24/7 Socratic Guide Through the Crucible
The Godhunting Academy does not simply feed you information; we demand that you defend it. To aid you in this rigorous pursuit, you will be guided by Doctor Nemo LXON—a proprietary, highly advanced AI theological tutor.
Programmed with a vast library of classical apologetics, historical data, and philosophical frameworks, Doctor Nemo is not a passive search engine. He is a tireless sparring partner embedded directly into this syllabus, ready to challenge your premises, refine your arguments, and forge you into a Certified Godhunter™.
Moral Theism: The Anchor of the Good: The 10-Class Syllabus
Chapter 1: Introduction to Moral Theism. Define Moral Theism as an ontological claim asserting that objective moral values and duties exist and are grounded in the nature and existence of God. We will contrast this realism with the view that values are merely evolutionary byproducts or useful fictions.
Chapter 2: The Nature of Reality and Value. Investigate the metaphysics of value, examining the difficulty of locating moral properties in a universe described entirely by physics and chemistry. We explore the proposition that God is the paradigm of Goodness and the meter bar by which all other goodness is measured.
Chapter 3: The Moral Argument for God’s Existence. Master the formal deductive syllogism used in modern apologetics. Students will study the logical structure of Modus Tollens (if P, then Q; Not Q; therefore, not P.) to demonstrate that accepting the reality of human rights and dignity logically commits one to the existence of God.
Chapter 4: Kant and the Enlightenment. Study Immanuel Kant’s shift from “Proving God” to “Postulating God” as a necessary hypothesis to make sense of the moral life. We explore his argument regarding the Summum Bonum (Highest Good), which requires a Divine Arbiter to ensure virtue is ultimately rewarded with happiness.
Chapter 5: Epistemology: Conscience and Practical Reason. Shift from ontology to epistemology to examine how we know right from wrong. We will look at John Henry Newman’s view of the conscience as a “voice” implying a relationship with a personal Lawgiver, rather than just a biological instinct.
Chapter 6: The Euthyphro Dilemma. Tackle the famous philosophical objection originating from Plato. We introduce “Essentialism” as the theistic solution, arguing that God’s commands are not arbitrary but flow directly from His unchanging, inherently good character.
Chapter 7: Evolution and Platonism Examine secular counter-arguments, specifically Evolutionary Ethics and Moral Platonism. We address the theistic counter-argument that abstract objects lack causal power, meaning an abstract concept of “Justice” cannot impose a moral duty on human beings.
Chapter 8: Virtue Ethics and the “Regulative Relationship”. Move from rules to character by introducing Virtue Ethics and the concept of telos (purpose). We discuss the moral life as a process of sanctification, where the goal is not just to do what God says, but to participate in the nature of God.
Chapter 9: Moral Theism in the Public Square. Discuss how Moral Theism grounds human rights in the Imago Dei (Image of God), providing intrinsic worth regardless of utility to the state. We study Natural Law theory as a foundation for Western legal systems and the authority for civil disobedience.
Chapter 10: The Ethical Foundation of Existence. Conclude by comparing the explanatory power of Moral Theism against evolutionary biology. We discuss the existential impact of viewing the universe not as an indifferent machine, but as a moral drama that bends toward justice.
Test Your Investigative Instincts
Sample quiz questions that could be used in this course:
1. The Ontological Question: What is the crucial philosophical distinction Moral Theism makes regarding an atheist’s relationship to the “Good”? (Answer Hint: Moral Theism does not claim atheists cannot know or do good; rather, it argues that without God, they cannot philosophically explain why the good exists objectively or why their conscience has binding authority over their instincts.)
2. The Logical Defense: How does “Essentialism” solve the classic Euthyphro Dilemma? (Answer Hint: It splits the horns of the dilemma by arguing that God does not create arbitrary rules, nor does He answer to a higher independent law; He wills what is good because His very nature and character are the Good.)
3. The Abstract Problem: Why does Moral Theism reject Moral Platonism (the idea that moral values exist as abstract objects without a God)? (Answer Hint: Abstract objects like numbers or concepts lack “causal power” and cannot issue commands. Therefore, an abstract concept of “Justice” cannot impose a binding moral duty on humans; only a Person can do that.)
