Natural Law Flashcards

Question

Natural law is unhelpful as an approach to moral decision-making

Answer 1

Can be argued that across societies basic goods can be generalised. Which gods should be worshipped and how many people can be involved in marriages Too legalistic and fixed, HIV/Aids in adrica as a result of opposing contraception is an example Naturalistic fallacy -> assuming what happens in the world and assuming this is what must happen Clarity of the primary precepts and the flexibility of the secondary precepts. Catechism “universal in its approach” and the “application of the natural law varies greatly”

Answer 2

A movement that stresses the uniqueness of each human individual by arguing that existence comes before essence

Answer 3

Aquinas believed that there is a fixed human nature. We are made in the image of God to have a clear purpose or telos. It’s built into our human nature to fulfil the primary precepts and that it’s mostly right for us to do so

Answer 4

Objected may have a fixed nature for example a knife starts as an idea in a makers mind, it’s made for a purpose and must carry out that purpose. Humans are fundamentally different. As an atheist, humans could only have a purpose or telos if they have been made by God. Therefore, he believes we come into existence first and then we must decide for ourselves what our essence is - in other words what we are for We are made We choose our purpose

Answer 5

We have a tendency to deny our freedom and behave as if we were mere objects. Living in bad fait. A waiter who is in over exaggerating his gestures and movements is playing the role of a waiter, as if that’s all he can do. Essence is not fixed he can choose different employment

Answer 6

If Aquinas is right that there is an essential human nature, then there really is a good for all humans that they should strive towards While Aquinas supports telos with reason, divine command theory makes a similar point via revelation; the Bible reveals the ‘plans and purposes that God has for all human beings’ (Jeremiah 29:13)

Answer 7

Aquinas may be making the mistake of assuming that all human beings have the same purpose; it may be possible that each of us have different purposes. Aquinas himself seems to allow this in his recognition that priests who are called to celibacy are exempt from the primary precept of reproduction Existentialist dispute whether humans have any purpose except the ones they freely choose for themselves. If God does not exist, then it seems difficult to argue for objective human purpose The scientific theory of evolution seems to suggest that purpose is not a feature of the world, but it’s rather something that human beings project onto the natural world The idea of telos entails somethings are natural to human beings, and other things are unnatural

Answer 8

The idea that is doing something good also produces a bad side-effect, It is still ethically permissible as a bad side-effect was not intended

Answer 9

For Aquinas, a good actor must have a good motive (interior) as well as being a good action as viewed on the outside (exterior) To impress the teacher -> giving to charity -> wrong - interior To prevent starvation -> stealing bread -> wrong - exterior To prevent starvation -> buying bread -> good

Answer 10

If you kill someone in self defence, it is not morally wrong One effect would be the good effect of saving your life however, if the attackers killed, this would be a bad effect linking back to the interior and exterior acts. If you intend a good effect, you are not held responsible for the secondary bad effect.

Answer 11

In the case of an abortion, if a woman’s life is at risk, if she continues with pregnancy, the doctor would be carrying out one action, an operation with the intention of saving the mothers life, and a secondary effects of ending the life of the foetus A doctor attempting to treat a seriously ill. Patient gives a large dose of painkillers. Relieving pain is the good effect, which is a doctor’s intention, but runs the risk of causing the death of the patient. The bad effect. If the patient dies, the doctor has done nothing wrong according to natural law as this was an unintended unforeseen consequences of the action.

Answer 12

Double affect allow some flexibility in an otherwise rigid procedure in action that produces both good and bad is permitted provided the good effect is intended It is a recognition of the complexity of real life situations. Absolutists such as Kant have no answer for situations where duties clash or competing goods cannot be achieved. double affect allows sufficient consequential, thinking into natural law to solve some of these cases.

Answer 13

It is impossible to genuinely judge the intention of a person likewise, in example of the doctor, and there is no difference between external actions of the one who wishes to relieve pain and the one who wants to kill It is difficult to know how far to press the idea of double effect and which areas it may cover. The use of contraception with the intention of saving life is a controversial area. In terms of the Roman Catholic Church. Furthermore, double effect could be applied in order to save life or assist reproduction This may cause a slippery slope.

Answer 14

An action, which someone mistakenly thinks is a real good, but they have not reasoned correctly

Answer 15

Actions which are actually good and consistent with the moral principles of natural law

Answer 16

Zeno, Marcus Aurelius God, or the codes created it and left within it the logos or divine reason. The divine spark is within each of us, so the reasonable response of humans towards ordered universe is to live an ordered life of virtuous actions. Right actions are those that we are able to rightly reason. The Roman orator Cicero suggested natural law is right reason in accordance with nature

Answer 17

The Synderesis principle suggest that we are directed by something within us to pursue good and avoid evil. Hence, the ability to achieve a good is within each of us if we reason correctly. He follows Socrates, in suggesting no one ever deliberately does the wrong action they make a reasoning error in pursuing an apparent good rather than a real good. This can be seen if a man is having an affair, despite being married, making the mistake of thinking that the pleasure he will gain is good. However pleasure is an apparent good

Answer 18

There is an order present in creation - Paley’s arguments on design. Aquinas is right that we do want to live well, and we naturally aim for goodness. Where we miss, it is because we are unclear on what goodness is, but our aim is nevertheless the same. Aquinas’s idea on natural law give a dignity to human beings, and places faith in their ability to reason

Answer 19

To reject the teleological view of the universe more than evolution. Reviews suggest that the universal life on earth are the result of random chance. Dawkins family suggests the Blind watchmaker Some suggestion that, although it is commendable, Aquinas gives such priority to reason he is being overly optimistic about what reason can achieve Aquinas’s view of real, an apparent goods could be seen as a little naive some humans knowingly commit evil actions, not all humans, have a natural inclination towards good

Natural Law Flashcards

(43 cards)