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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 October 2008
In his book Ethics Without God, Kai Nielsen voices criticism of Christian thought and morality. In two of his major arguments, Nielsen contends that morality can not be based on the Christian religion or similar theistic metaphysics, and secondly, that if morality is based on God, or God's will, any ‘moral decisions’ are arbitrary and involve no reasoning on the part of the individual. These two criticisms of Christian moral thought can be met by drawing upon the Ideal Observer Theory in ethics.
1 Nielsen, Kai, Ethics Without God (Buffalo, NY: Pemberton Books, 1973).Google Scholar All subsequent references noted in text.
2 The I.O. Theory is defended in various places. For the most part, I follow Roderick Firth's depiction of the theory in ‘Ethical Absolutism and the Ideal Observer’, Philosophy and Phenomological Research, XII (03 1952).Google Scholar For a recent treatment of the I.O. Theory., see Taliaferro, Charles, ‘Relavising the Ideal Observer Theory’, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, 1 (09 1988), 123–38CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3 Kai Nielsen employs a similar ‘standard’ in “Global Justice, Capitalism, and the Third World,” The journal of Applied Philosophy, vol. I (10 1984), 175–186.Google Scholar