Sadler's Lectures An Anselmian Account of the Grounding of Morality - Sadler's Lectures
Dec 2, 2025
Dive into a fascinating exploration of St. Anselm's views on morality and its grounding in God. The discussion reveals how Anselm perceives God as the ultimate source of value and justice. Can morality exist without divine influence? This inquiry leads to intriguing insights about secular adaptations of Anselm's ideas. Highlighting the limitations of a de-Christianized moral framework, the podcast also emphasizes the importance of practical Christian living for genuine moral development. It's a journey through philosophy that challenges conventional ideas.
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God As Ontological Ground Of Morality
- For Anselm, all being and all genuine values ultimately depend on God as their ontological ground.
- Thus morality, its possibility, and virtues track back to God's status as supreme being and supreme good.
Anselm's Rationalism Allows Secular Translation
- Anselm's arguments often rely on reason independent of scripture, suggesting parts of his moral theory can be secularized.
- This opens the possibility that rational moral concepts could be translated into a human-centered ethics.
Justice As Rectitude Of Will
- Anselm defines justice as rectitude of will maintained for its own sake and requiring right ordering of motives.
- Justice thus norms actions, motives, and the reflexive structure of the will itself.