In anticipation of the Euthyphro dilemma section of FOE Part II, I have been working on a rough draft of a counterargument to the Euthyphro argument. Basically, the Euthyphro argument (in Chapter 5 of FOE) says that God does not have authorship of morality: "If God has reasons to support his commands, then these reasons, rather than the divine commands, are what make actions right or wrong." (Premise 3) In an attempt to counter this, I have created two rough drafts of counterarguments....
Counterargument 1: God's authority and reasons mutually reinforce each other in a way that is inextricable....
(1) Since God created the universe, the universe is God's domain.
(2) Denizens of domains are under the authority and protection of their ruler's laws.
(3) Ergo, whenever people commit actions that can harm the citizens of a country, their actions are wrong for two reasons simultaneously: contravening the authority of the ruler's laws and violating the protection from harm that the ruler decreed for his denizens
(4) In the same manner, since humans are denizens of God's domain, we are under the authority and protection of God's moral law
(5) Therefore, when people commit actions that can harm others, their actions are wrong (immoral) for two reasons simultaneously: contravening the authority of God's moral law and violating the protection from harm that God decreed for his denizens
(6) Since contravening the authority of the moral law of God (rebelling against him) is one reason why immoral actions are wrong, the negative consequences of inflicting harm (violating protection from harm) are not the only thing that makes actions right or wrong.
(7) Thus, God does have authorship of morality, because actions are made right or wrong from the inextricable conjunction of the following two reasons: Protecting humans from harm and God's sovereignty as ruler of the domain that is the universe.
Counterargument 2: God designed humanity's capacity for selflessness (morality)....
(1) Because God is morally perfect, all of the universe was entirely good when he created it.
(2) As part of that design, God designed human beings with the intellectual capacity to override violent and selfish impulses, so we could live with another in love and peace.
(3) Although it's difficult to refine that capacity for selflessness, it is something we ought to strive for because it leads to peace.
(4) When we succumb to violent and selfish instincts, we stray away from fulfilling that capacity of selflessness.
(5) Therefore, violent and selfish actions are also immoral, because they vitiate God's good design for us.
(6) Ergo, since God designed our capacity for selflessness and since it is that capacity that we ought to fulfill, God has authorship of morality.
