In this special episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer responds to a PragerU video which argues that moral wisdom requires a “fear of God.” Bayer argues that a fear of God undercuts moral wisdom and is driven by a fear of the intellectual independence that moral wisdom requires.
Among the topics covered:
The proposal that a fear of God provides the basis for an objective morality;
How the fear of God makes objective moral guidance impossible;
Why being motivated by fear undercuts our love of moral wisdom and virtue;
How faith is driven by a fear of the independence that moral wisdom requires.
Mentioned in this podcast is Onkar Ghate’s article “Finding Morality and Happiness Without God.”
The podcast was recorded on March 5, 2024.
