This was very much not the case within the Orthodox tradition I was raised in.
Something similar was true for mishpatim (1), I guess—in the same way that secular communities frequently assume that their preferred policies make the world a better place—but chukim (1) were presented entirely deontologically.
Sure, one could make an argument to the effect that God was omniscient and benevolent, and wanted these rules followed, and therefore it was likely that the effect of following the rules would be beneficial… but mostly nobody did; the more common stance was that obedience to God was the proper terminal value, and God wanted these rules followed, and therefore compliance with the rules was a proper instrumental value. Likely consequences didn’t enter into it at all.
(1) Jewish tradition divides the commandments derived from the Old Testament, which are by tradition understood as coming directly from God (as distinct from the ones that are understood as coming from later rabbinical bodies), into two classes, chukim and mishpatim. Roughly speaking, mishpatim have a reason given and chukim don’t.
This was very much not the case within the Orthodox tradition I was raised in.
Something similar was true for mishpatim (1), I guess—in the same way that secular communities frequently assume that their preferred policies make the world a better place—but chukim (1) were presented entirely deontologically.
Sure, one could make an argument to the effect that God was omniscient and benevolent, and wanted these rules followed, and therefore it was likely that the effect of following the rules would be beneficial… but mostly nobody did; the more common stance was that obedience to God was the proper terminal value, and God wanted these rules followed, and therefore compliance with the rules was a proper instrumental value. Likely consequences didn’t enter into it at all.
(1) Jewish tradition divides the commandments derived from the Old Testament, which are by tradition understood as coming directly from God (as distinct from the ones that are understood as coming from later rabbinical bodies), into two classes, chukim and mishpatim. Roughly speaking, mishpatim have a reason given and chukim don’t.