Natural Law Flashcards
The different types of ethics
deontological ethics - ethical systems which consider that the moral act itself has moral value e.g. telling the truth is always right, even if it may cause pain
teleological ethics - ethical systems which consider the outcome of the action when making a moral judgment e.g. telling the truth might be wrong when it may cause pain or harm
absolute ethics - an objective moral rule or value that is always true in all situations and for everyone, without exception
relative ethics - a subjective moral rule, that means whether an act is moral or not might differ from situation to situation, culture to culture
Natural Law
- natural law is a deontological theory created by Thomas Aquinas based on behaviour that accords with given law or moral rules (given by God)
- Aquinas used the ideas of Aristotle and Stoics as an underpinning theory for his natural law
Aristotle’s view on Natural Law
- Aristotle considered that not only does everything have a purpose (purpose of knife is to cut), but that it’s supreme good is found when it fulfils that purpose (knife cuts sharply)
- the supreme good for humans is eudaimonia,which is usually translated as happiness but includes the idea of living well, thriving and flourishing with others in society
- Aristotle saw this as the final goal for humans but this is to be achieved by living a life of reason
The origins of Natural Law
- the earliest theory of natural law first appeared among the stoics, who believe God is everywhere and in everyone
- humans have within them a ’divine spark’ which helps them find out how to live according to the will of God
- humans have a choice whether to obey the laws that govern the universe but need to use their reason to understand and decide whether to obey the cosmic laws
The four tiers of law
eternal law - absolute and eternal part of natural law. It is part of the mind of God, his unchanging reason. This is the reason Gods law is unchanging and universal, for everyone at all times and in all places. God plants the law in every persons rational soul
divine law - God sends out info about eternal law through this, the command and teachings of divine revelation that are usually found in the bible (commandments, Beatitudes etc)
natural law - it allows humans who haven’t read the bible to perceive the eternal law through the application of human beings apart from animals and makes Gods eternal law accessible to the whole of humanity
human law - its our response to these messages from God in reason and in revelation. Human laws are the customs and practices of society, look after the young and vulnerable, protect life etc.
The telos/ultimate end
- Aquinas thought moral acts were free acts aimed at achieving an ultimate end/telos
- achieving this brings ultimate happiness and satisfaction, a thing not found in this world
- we should pursue this ultimate happiness
The key precept
- the key precept is to do good and avoid evil. Reason directs us to so good and avoid evil, and all other principles flow from this reason.
- this is the synderesis, the key precept from which all other principles flow
The primary precepts
- Aquinas made five primary precepts, things that are good and absolute and describe human flourishing
to worship God - God is the source of eternal law, and God has sent this law to humanity through divine and natural law
to live in an ordered society - a lawful one where it is possible to follow all the primary precepts
to reproduce - to ensure that life continues as is God’s intention and is necessary for the continuation of society
to learn - to teach people about God, his eternal law, natural law, divine law and the primary precepts
to defend the innocent - life is most precious
Secondary precepts
- secondary precepts are deduced from primary precepts. They are applications of the primary precepts into certain situations
- it’s possible for secondary precepts to vary as they are based on the application of primary precepts into circumstances that may differ
- for example a secondary precept could be ‘do not steal’ as this goes against the primary precept of ‘to live in an ordered society’, however its accepted that sometimes situations occur whereby not following secondary precepts may be supported by another primary precept
Real and apparent good
- humans do bad things because they are mistaken by apparent goods
- a man might feel that to have an affair with his neighbour is desirable. the reason for this is not because he thinks its good to break up his marriage, but because he is mistaken about what he truly desires. These tempting goods are apparent, not real
- humans need to use reason to correctly distinguish between apparent goods and real goods
The doctrine of double effect
- it’s possible for actions to have two effects, one which upholds the precepts and another which doesn’t, if the person intends the good effect, then they can be justified in acting that way
- for example, self-defence is right if I’m doing it to preserve life, but not if I’m doing it to kill someone. The other effect is foreseen but not intened
Strengths of natural law
- allows a clear-cut approach to morality and establishes common rules
- basic principles of preserving life, reproduction etc are common in all cultures and so natural law is reasonable
- concentrates on human character and its potential for goodness and flourishing rather than on the rightness or wrongness of particular acts, and so it allows for some measure of flexibility
Weaknesses of natural law
- finds it difficult to relate complex decisions to basic principles in practice e.g. should more many be spent on hospitals or schools
- Vardy and Grosch criticise the way Aquinas works from general principles to lesser purposes and see his view of human nature as holistic and simplistic
- some catholic scholars also distrust philosophical theories such as natural law, and insist it must be supplemented by revelation or church teachings
