ABSTRACT
In his paper, Nigel Biggar argues for moral realism on the basis of the Christian conviction of the unity of God and the consistency of the world the one God created. Therefore, in spite of moral pluralism in the world, it is likely to find shared ground between different ages and cultures. In this paper, the author argues for another approach to the presence of the good in the world. On the basis of Augustine’s view of the Trinity, he argues that the transcendence and immanence of the Good should rather be understood in terms of the creative yet incomprehensible presence of God in the world. From there, he develops an anthropology in which human beings find their happiness in being directed to God as the highest Good, loosing this happiness through being directed towards themselves. Thus, true happiness and goodness depends on grace for fallen human beings. This opens up an account of moral pluralism which leaves space to genuine moral disagreements even apart from sin, as we always have our own partial perspective on God as the Good, but also a common sensitivity to the Good through grace and thus common ground for moral reflection.
