Value and Virtue in a Godless Universe

Erik J. Wielenberg is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at DePauw University, Indiana. He has written articles in such journals as Religious Studies, Faith and Philosophy, Pacific Philosophical Quarterly, Synthese, and Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy. He has given lectures at a variety of professional conferences, including meetings of the American Philosophical Association and the Society of Christian Philosophers.

• Acknowledgements; Introduction; Part I. God and the Meaning of Life: 1. The meanings of life; 2. Four arguments that life lacks internal meaning without God; 3. Richard Taylor's way out: creating your own meaning; 4. Peter Singer's way out: meaning through eliminating pain; 5. Aristotle's way out: intrinsically good activity; Part II. God and Morality: 6. God as the omnipotent creator of ethics; 7. Criticism of the strong position; 8. Criticism of the weak position; 9. An alternative account; 10. God as divine commander; Part III. The Divine Guarantee of Perfect Justice: 11. Why be moral?; 12. First answer: because morality and self-interest coincide; 13. Second answer: because you ought to; 14. The divine guarantee of perfect justice and Kant's moral argument; 15. Divine justice, self-sacrifice, and moral absurdity; 16. Absolute evil and moral faith; 17. Where we are now; Part IV. Ethical Character in a Godless Universe: 18. A new assumption; 19. The fall of man: pride and disobedience; 20. Humility, Christian and naturalistic; 21. From humility to charity; 22. Hope and heroism; 23. Moral education and science; Part V. Creeds to Live By: 24. To believe or not to believe?; 25. A creed we can live by?; Notes; References.

'Wielenberg has written a worthwhile book, and he has done this with verve. His arguments are often provocative. It is his way to make people reflect on what he writes.' Ethical Perspectives