1

Has there been a push for or the development of an amoral argument for a god that is indifferent to the moral practices of humanity, a sort of anti-moral argument for an indifferent god?

This idea fills my imagination when those of a religious inclination propose a god and associate with that god an anthropomorphic characteristic of moral obligation or authority.

I'm aware of the god of the Abrahamic religions which is presented as being moral and of the immoral deities present in various mythologies but has there been serious discussion as to whether such a characteristic, being an authority of human morality, should be connected to the god label.

Frank Hubeny
  • 19,136
  • 7
  • 28
  • 89
The victorious truther
  • 329
  • 1
  • 6
  • The creator of the universe could have been an electron. I'm not sure how interested electrons are in humanity. An intelligence vast enough to creat quasars and quails in the billionth of a second of the big bang, couldn't really be interested in a bunch of apes killing each other for oil? – Richard Mar 23 '19 at 01:38
  • This question is assuming that such a "thing" actually possesses a form of what could be considered consciousness however such an self-awareness is attained, is sustained, or functions. – The victorious truther Mar 24 '19 at 03:15
  • Richard. . . you do also seem to be implying an intuition that I might have with respect to entertaining the idea of a "god" being that its intelligence and vast scale of difference between us and it would warrant the conclusion that it wouldn't be a personal deity. – The victorious truther Mar 24 '19 at 17:33

2 Answers2

1

The OP's question is

Has there been a push for or the development of an amoral argument for a god that is indifferent to the moral practices of humanity?

One place to look for such a position may be among the various deistic philosophical positions.

Deism...is the philosophical belief which posits that although God exists as the uncaused First Cause – ultimately responsible for the creation of the universe – God does not interact directly with that subsequently created world. (Wikipedia, "Deism")

This lack of involvement may be interpreted as moral indifference by the creator whose primary causation creates the world but then leaves the continuation of it to secondary causation and any morality to what human reason can discover.

Wikipedia contributors. (2019, April 3). Deism. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 20:47, April 13, 2019, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Deism&oldid=890748631

Frank Hubeny
  • 19,136
  • 7
  • 28
  • 89
  • Deism... Yes in principle. (I've called myself deist on occasion) In practice as I said in [another conversation](https://philosophy.stackexchange.com/a/65958/37256) : «I don't understand the word "deist". Sometimes it's a euphemism for atheist. Sometimes an apology for theist.» – Rushi Sep 11 '19 at 02:20
  • @Rusi It does seem to be half-way between atheism and theism. However, I can't imagine that either atheists or theists would find it acceptable, but I suppose some do. – Frank Hubeny Sep 11 '19 at 02:48
  • +1. Frank, my answer does not cross yours but supplements it with Aristotle and Epikurus. – Geoffrey Thomas Sep 14 '19 at 18:54
1

Ancient sources are relevant here.

Aristotle's God

In Aristotle's cosmology, God is a purely contemplative being. God does nothing but think, since thinking is the most perfect activity; and God thinks only about Godself since there is nothing more perfect to think about. Aristotle calls this a 'thinking of thinking' (noesis noeseos).

God is the 'first mover' because everything other than God strives in its own way to imitate God and this is the stimulus to all activity (other than God's) in the kosmos. But this is no intention of God's. God is wholly separate from everything else in the kosmos, and exercises no interest or activity in it.

The gods of Epikurus

For Epikurus the gods dwell in the intermundial spaces and have no interest in humankind. Why should the gods, so superior to humanity in all respects, bother to concern themselves with inferior beings such as ourselves ?

References

Aristotle: Chapters 7 and 9 of Metaphysics 12.

Epikurus: Letter to Menoeceus, §124.

Community
  • 1
Geoffrey Thomas
  • 35,303
  • 4
  • 40
  • 143