نگاهي به معماي اوتيفرون

A Look at Euthyphro Dilemma

Since the Platoʹs time, there has been a debate over the issue whether good actions are those which conform to Godʹs will, or do they conform to Godʹs will because they are good? In western culture, this problem is known as Euthyphro Dilemma. Some thinkers, most religious ones, defend the first option which is called ʹDivine command theory of ethicsʹ, while some defend the opposite. In the Islamic world, too, this problem has been the subject of debate between Ashʹarites in one side and Shiʹa and Muʹtazilah on the other. The first group believe in the former and the second group are adherents of the latter. The aim of this paper is to critically examine the ʹDivine command theory of ethicsʹ and show its unacceptable implications.