‘I hope I believe in God’: Some Implications for Contemporary Ethics

Abstract

The claim that belief in God is more a cognitive achievement than a physiological state poses theological and philosophical challenges. It poses a theological challenge for adherents of (at least) the three main forms of monotheism. It poses a philosophical challenge to anyone with a serious interest in theoretical and practical ethics. In the first part of this essay I sketch a recent explanation and defence of this claim. In the second part, I sketch some implications of the claim for contemporary ethics.