The ethical theory that moral obligations derive from God's commands or will, making something right or wrong because God commands or forbids it. It grounds morality in divine authority rather than human reason or natural properties.
From Latin 'divinus' (of the gods) and 'commandare' (to entrust, order). This theory has ancient roots in religious traditions but was formally articulated in medieval philosophy by thinkers like Duns Scotus and William of Ockham.
Divine-command theory faces the famous Euthyphro dilemma: Is something good because God commands it, or does God command it because it's good? This 2,400-year-old question still puzzles religious ethicists today!
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