Final answer:
Theism typically views morality as grounded in divine will, often encapsulated in the phrase 'God makes right.' Atheism requires secular justifications for morality and law, which some critique as 'might makes right.' However, not all atheistic views endorse power as the basis of right; many turn to reason and shared human values.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question implies a discussion over the basis of moral and legal authority in an atheistic versus theistic worldview. In a theistic view, typically represented by natural law theory, morality and therefore law are grounded in God's will, nature, or some form of divine command. The quoted LibreTexts materials reference thinkers like Thomas Aquinas who argue that legitimate human laws are those aligned with natural law, which in turn is rooted in divine order. In such a view, the phrase 'God makes right' could be used to encapsulate the idea that moral and legal correctness stem from divine will or nature as created by a deity.
Contrastingly, in an atheistic view, there's often an implied rejection of supernatural sources of morality and law. Without a divine lawgiver, ethical frameworks must rest on secular foundations such as reason, shared human values, or societal consensus. Here, the phrase 'might makes right' or 'power makes right' is sometimes used to critique atheistic ethics, suggesting that without divine command, laws could be based merely on human authority, force, or societal power structures rather than on an objective moral standard. However, this isn't necessarily the case, as other atheistic ethical systems such as Kantian ethics seek to establish moral laws through reason and universality, without reliance on a deity.