Copp, David

David Copp (b. 1945) is a Canadian philosopher who has made significant contributions to metaethics and moral philosophy, with important implications for discussions of divine command theory and the relationship between morality and God. His naturalistic approach to ethics, particularly developed in Morality in a Natural World (2007), challenges theological foundations for morality by arguing that moral facts can be grounded in natural facts about human societies and their needs. Copp defends a society-centered theory of morality that provides an alternative to both divine command theories and other forms of moral realism. His work in Selected Essays in Metaethics further elaborates his moral naturalism and addresses the question of moral authority without appeal to divine sources. His philosophical project demonstrates how robust moral realism might be maintained without theological commitments, contributing to debates about whether morality requires God as its foundation.