Immanuel Kant on the Basis of Morality

Immanuel Kant on the Basis of Morality

Immanuel Kant was a philosopher who endeavored to uncover the basis of morality, what determines an action to be moral. He holds that morality is an individual’s worthiness of happiness, but that the actual outcome of any given act may or may not actually result in happiness, regardless of its moral value. Kant is unique [...]

Limitations of Natural Law Theory

Limitations of Natural Law Theory

Natural law are the laws which are common to man. There are two main factors which contribute to natural law. The first is the general revelation of God, the knowledge of good and evil. General revelation is not the law itself; rather, it is the natural ability to discern the law, where special revelation requires [...]

A Will to Choose God–Jonah 1.1-16

A Will to Choose God--Jonah 1.1-16

Jonah 1.1-4—free will
The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”
But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that [...]

New Testament Ethics

New Testament Ethics

Unlike the Old Testament, which has an ethic focused on holiness, the New Testament has ethics that are bound by the characteristic of love. We are commanded to love God and to love all people. A love for people is a mere extension of a love for God because of His love for us. A [...]

Old Testament Ethics

Old Testament Ethics

There are many different ethical concepts in the Old Testament. Unlike today, the ethics in Old Testament era times were built on social standards, rather than morals for individuals. Holiness and justice are two of the concepts that are very prominent. Israel was called to be holy, not so that they could be free from [...]

The Ring of Gyges and Morality

The Ring of Gyges and Morality

The Ring of Gyges
A shepherd and his flock, with the following account: According to the tradition, Gyges was a shepherd in the service of the king of Lydia; there was a great storm, and an earthquake made an opening in the earth at the place where he was feeding his flock. Amazed at the sight, [...]

Code of Ethics Examples

Code of Ethics Examples

Aretaic
Aretaic ethics is a category of ethics which gauges the moral value of an action, not by the action itself or it’s consequences, but by the character which it produces in the person who performed it. It does not say that the action is immoral because of the action itself, nor does it say it [...]

Is Jonah Historical Fact or Fictional Narrative?

Is Jonah Historical Fact or Fictional Narrative?

When did Jonah live?
8th century, during the reign of Jeroboam II (786-746 BC). His ministry took place just prior to Hosea.
Who was Jonah?
Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher in Gallilee.
Nineveh
Nineveh was not the capital of Assyria at the time of Jonah, but it may have been a royal estate. This gives [...]