In Search of “Good Positive Reasons” For an Ethics of Divine Commands

Idziak, Janine Marie

doi:10.5840/faithphil1989612

Cited by 17 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…Sagi and Statman significantly maintain that there is only one rabbinic source that exclusively and conclusively promotes the model of the Strong Dependence Theory (Sagi & Statman 1995:50). This is to be found in the relatively recent writings of the Chassidic leader R. Klonymus Shapira produced in Warsaw during the Holocaust, who claims (contra Idziak [1989] and Frank [1983]) that only non-Jews promote the Weak Dependence Theory:…”

Section: Strong Dependence Theorymentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Yet an empirical study of the rabbinic texts belies such a notion. Avi Sagi and Daniel Statman point to the surprising anomaly that while Christianity (Idziak 1989) and Islam (according to the Al-Ash'ari school) (Frank 1983) both subscribe to the Strong Dependence Theory − where morality is said to originate with God − the same may not be said of Judaism which, based on rabbinic texts, has 'hardly any echoes of support for this thesis' (Sagi & Statman 1995:39).…”

Section: The Sources Of Morality: Strong and Weak Dependence Theoriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The conceptualisation of morality in Judaism

Michal

2024

Verbum et Ecclesia

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This article dealt with the irony that confronts any investigation into the conceptualisation of morality in Judaism: much of contemporary scholarship promotes the Strong Dependence Theory where God is considered the prime source of morality − yet an empirical analysis of classical rabbinic literature indicates a leaning more towards the Weak Dependence Theory which considers human beings the source for morality. Somehow, scholarship seems to overlook this textual evidence. On the other hand, that same contemporary scholarship has no problem in accepting absolute and complete human autonomy in the area of Jewish religious law or Halacha. This study questioned why humans are comfortably accepted as the primary determinants of religious law but not of morality – and argued for a return to the original Weak Dependence Theory to maintain moral efficacy. It included an examination of an extreme historical test case for rabbinic morality concerning how the rabbinic world dealt internally with the moral implications of major rabbis who had fled the Holocaust.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: While this literature study was conducted from an orthodox rabbinic perspective, it adopted a descriptive and evaluative methodology based on academic, rabbinic and historical sources.

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Section: Strong Dependence Theorymentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: The Sources Of Morality: Strong and Weak Dependence Theoriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The conceptualisation of morality in Judaism

Michal

2024

Verbum et Ecclesia

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show abstract

“…In both the historical and contemporary literature, DCE has been regarded as a correlate of divine omnipotence (Idziak 1989 , pp. 51 -3, 60 -1; see also Chapter 27 , Omnipotence).…”

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confidence: 99%