ISSUE
|
NORMISTIC POSITION
|
THEOCENTRIST POSITION |
HISTORICAL
|
| |
The classical dialog: "Is the pious beloved by the gods because it is
pious, or pious because beloved by the gods?"
|
The pious is beloved by the gods because it is pious
|
The pious is pious because it is beloved by the gods |
More than 2000 years later: "Is something good made or willed
by God because it is good, or is it good because it is
made or willed by God?"
|
Something good is made or willed by God or the supreme
because it is good.
Goodness or perfection is in the nature of things
|
Something is good because it is made or willed by God.
What is pleasing to the most powerful is good as such |
The order of nature
(li is principle,
or whole of
principles,
of organization)
|
The 'li of nature':
all phenomena in the world are part of the Cosmic Way;
there is a harmonious cooperation of all beings that observe
the rules of their own nature
|
The 'laws of nature':
all creatures obey the dictates of a divine lawgiver who has laid
down these laws; nonpersonal things are said to obey ('His')
physical laws |
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|
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SYSTEMATIC
|
| |
What is essential
|
Primacy of the normative:
rules of perfection (goodness, justice, and so on) exist
independently of what a god is/was or does/did:
norms are primary, authority is secondary
|
Primacy of the (divinely) authoritative:
(divine) authority comes first and the normative is subsidiary to it:
the divine and authority in general are primary,
norms are secondary |
Prime notion
|
'The norm(s)'
or 'the principle(s)'
|
'The god(s)'
or 'the Supreme Being' |
Prime proper name (or 'denomination')
|
That of (adherence to) a principle:
'Norm', 'Dao' and other names which
have meaning as a noun
|
That of a god:
'God' and names which do not have meaning
as a noun |
(Non)existence of one or more gods
or a supreme being
|
Irrelevant
|
Crucial
(If theistic, attempts to prove the existence of God;
if antitheistic, attempts to prove the
nonexistence of God) |
(Non)existence of one or more independent principles
|
Crucial
|
Irrelevant |
To realize what?
|
A world of good:
a superior state of being in oneself and/or in other
things
|
A world of God:
God-realization, God-consciousness |
For the sake of what?
|
"For goodness' sake"
|
"For God's sake" |
Emphasis in teaching
|
To live in accordance with a particular principle,
or the principles in general
|
To love or worship a particular god,
or the gods in general |
Way of addressing the adherent
|
"We/One should ..."
or "We/One must .."
|
"Thou shalt ..." |
General attitude
|
Respecting persons
|
Authoritarian |
Favored motto
|
'Legitimacy and order'
|
'Law and order' |
Attitude towards orders and obedience
|
"To be convincing is to be obeyed":
conditional obedience
|
"To hear is to obey":
"Orders are orders"
|
Ethical objection to the other position
|
Without a norm/the Norm anything can be commanded
|
Without a god/God everything is permitted |
How to scorn an adherent of the antithetical type of
denominational doctrine
|
By calling 'im "an antinormist" or "an anormist" in a
sense which is not purely descriptive
|
By calling 'im "an atheist" in a sense which is not
purely descriptive (and if a theist oneself) |
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