Q&A: A Question About the Argument for the Existence of God from the Need for Validity in Morality
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
A Question About the Argument for the Existence of God from the Need for Validity in Morality
Question
Hello Rabbi, I saw your discussion with Professor Enoch about morality and God.
I wanted to ask about the claim that the existence of objective morality with binding validity requires God (however minimal that may be).
- Who is the first philosopher, as far as you know, who made this claim?
- From what I understood, Kant also made this claim. Did I understand correctly?
- More generally, who are the best-known philosophers in human thought, as far as you know, who advanced the above argument?
Thanks in advance, happy holiday.
Answer
- I have no idea, and I also don’t see why that is interesting.
- In my opinion, yes, and I explained this in the fourth lecture in Part 3 (although it is commonly thought that he speaks about humanistic, human morality without God).
- There are many, and I don’t know how to list them.
Discussion on Answer
The fourth booklet here on the site, or the fourth lecture in the book The First Existent.
Which fourth lecture? From some faith booklet? I didn’t understand.