Reflections on the Moral Argument, Part 6—and a Farewell

In last month’s installment, I discussed how Good God came about, which turned out to be the first book in a tetralogy on the moral argument. As we drew near to finishing the book, it dawned on us that we would need to spend more time considering secular efforts to explain morality. We did it all too briefly in Good God, so we planned to write a second volume, which some years later we did, called God and Cosmos: Moral Truth and Human Meaning (OUP, 2016). Secular approaches to ethics make up a vast topic, and it includes not just those who claim to be moral realists of various stripes, but those who are skeptical about objective morality altogether. So we figured we’d better write a whole book defending moral realism, and more recently we finished that; that forthcoming book is called The Good, the Right, and the Real: Is Value a Fact? (Oxford, 2025).

In between God and Cosmos and The Good, the Right, and the Real, Jerry Walls and I also wrote a history of the moral argument. It was a lot of fun to see the range of diverse thinkers through the centuries who pursued such a line of argument, from A. E. Taylor to Hastings Rashdall, from Immanuel Kant to H. P. Owen, from William Sorley to C. S. Lewis, and lots besides. That book was called The Moral Argument: A History (OUP, 2019).

Having finished our tetralogy on the moral argument, I’m glad that we fulfilled our original vision to think the issue through from our perspective. Of course, there is still great work to be done, but finishing the tetralogy marks a turning point in my own career. So allow me to use this occasion to make an announcement. There are two more books on the moral argument I’m wrapping up: an OUP collection co-edited with Yale’s John Hare, and a book on moral arguments with Baker co-written with William Lane Craig. Both of these projects will be done by this summer, but together they represent my swan song when it comes to this issue.

After summer 2025, my wife, a professor of literature, and I are going to try our hand at something new: law school. She has a heart for hurting people, and aims to use her legal training to be a voice for those without one. For some years now, I have had a growing interest in the area of social, political, and legal philosophy. This last election cycle fortified my conviction that important work is needed thinking through a more nuanced understanding of the connections between morality and legality in a pluralistic democratic republic like our own. Marybeth and I studied for the LSAT in the fall of 2024, took it in November, and applied to the School of Law at the University of Missouri. Family considerations led us to that particular location. Our applications were accepted, and we let Houston Christian University know that we would be leaving at the end of the school year. This summer we will move from Houston, TX, to Columbia, MO.

In order to devote my full attention to law school, I am also stepping down from my position at The Worldview Bulletin. It’s been great fun, and I appreciate my colleagues here more than words can say. My sincerest thanks to Chris Reese for being our fearless leader, and to readers for taking the time to read my work. Being part of this team for the past five years has been a great joy and honor, and I pray God’s richest and continuing blessings on the work.

— David Baggett is Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Center for the Foundations of Ethics at Houston Christian University. He is the author or editor of about sixteen books, most recently A Personal God and a Good World: The Coherence of the Christian Moral Vision, coauthored with Ronnie P. Campbell Jr.

Image: New York Court of Appeals