Objective Morality: What It Means

Christian morality is not just about following commandments or following practical principles like “do no harm.” Christian morality is based on what philosophers call ‘virtue ethics’. In Matthew 5:48, Jesus says, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” In Leviticus 19:2, God says to Moses, “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.’” God’s people are called upon to be the best examples of what it means to be human.

So what makes virtue ethics objective?

Something is objective if it exists and could be known independently of who knows about it or even if no one learns anything about it at all. People can know about physical things because they are objects. For example, when different people see various apples, those apples serve as the basis for what anyone could learn about apples: rounded, nutritious, grows on trees, etc. That’s real knowledge about a type of actual objects, in this case apples.

The meaning of objective is obvious when talking about physical things. The objectivity of other types of things is less clear, but philosophically justifiable; things like forms are objects of knowledge.

People also know about mathematical objects. Just like apples, everyone can agree that triangular form share common features. It does not matter that the triangular form never exists apart from something shaped like a triangle. If it has a triangular form, it has three sides, encloses an area, and the sum of its angles is 180 degrees.

Some things are better examples of the triangular form than others.  Those examples are objectively better or worse to the extent that they conform to the triangular form, despite what other accidental features they may have. For example a glass prism is a better triangle than a yield sign, but being made of clear glass versus painted metal, has no bearing on the fact that both, objectively speaking, are triangular.

The principle here is that most everything is also a kind of thing something. Every particular apple is still a kind of apple. Every expression of the triangular form is a kind of triangle. The human form is also an object of knowledge. Just as particular triangles and apples are all a kind of triangle or apple, every living person is a kind of human.

Ever since Aristotle, the essence of human nature has been identified as that of a ‘rational animal’. A human has all the features common to other animal forms but is distinguished by the ability to reason. Admittedly the idea of Man as a ‘rational animal’ is not held in as high regard as it once was. Modern science reveals a more tentative picture of what it means to be human, but that does not undermine the fact that there is a human form capable of being known, however imperfectly understood.

Christian morality is objective because it is based on an object of knowledge: the human form. The human form, God’s image, serves as the basis for making moral value judgments. A man is virtuous to the extent that he manifests what it means to be human. A rational and courageous person is more virtuous than an irrational and cowardly one, etc. Because God is creative, just, wise, and patient, so also should we be.

It should be remembered that objective does not mean moral reasoning is easy or that it leads to obvious and certain conclusions. People must still apply reason and use discernment when making value judgments. The degree to which a particular thing exemplifies the essential form of its kind remains a subjective assessment based on objective facts.

In summary, Christian morality is based on objective facts about what it means to be human.