Natural Moral Law

Question 1

What is NML?

Answer 1

• Proposes the existence of a law whose content is set by nature, derived from God so therefore has validity everywhere

Question 2

What does Aristotle say about NML?

Answer 2

• Natural justice is independent and applies to everyone, no matter where they live
• sees the supreme good for humans as endaimonia, reached through living a life according to reason

Question 3

For Aristotle, what telos (function) distinguishes human beings?

Answer 3

• Reasoning
• we have the supreme good to fulfil our function
  -eudaimonia = human flourishing = life in accordance with virtue

Question 4

Who is Thomas aquinas?

Answer 4

• Catholic theologian and philosopher
• influenced by Aristotle and developed natural law
• believed faith must be grounded in reason and we can use god given reason to make moral decisions

Question 5

What is natural law theory?

Answer 5

• Human purpose is to achieve Union with God
• aquinas was inspired by Aristotle believing God created the world and everything has a purpose
• God a made all humans in his image, giving us the ability to reason
• God has written moral laws into our nature, giving us a natural inclination to do good and avoid evil

Question 6

What are the 4 causes?

Answer 6

• Humans can use reason to work out what is good with the different causes:
  1 the material cause
  2 the efficient cause
  3 the formal cause
  4 The final cause
• for aquinas whatever promotes the final cause is right

Question 7

What are aquinas’ 4 types of law?

Answer 7

1 eternal law: given by God
2 divine law: revealed through Gods principles e.g. Bible
3 natural moral law: Gods eternal laws understood through application of reason
4 human law: formulated humans

Question 8

What are the primary precepts?

Answer 8

Worship God
Order
Reproduce
Learn
Defend life

Question 9

What is synderisis rule?

Answer 9

• Good is to be done and evil avoided

Question 10

Is human nature essentially good?

Answer 10

Human nature is a basic main law to essentially do good, people are mostly inclined to do the right thing
However some can be inclined to do bad due to how they are influenced by their surroundings

Question 11

What is our ultimate goal according to aquinas?

Answer 11

We only fully reach our purpose in our next life, so the goal on earth is human flourishing/ eudaimonia → ultimate goal of Union in heaven with God

Question 12

What is cultural relativism?

Answer 12

The view that a persons moral beliefs should be judged in the context of their own culture

Question 13

Why are primary precepts important?

Answer 13

• They are required to reach the main goal of eudaimonia

Question 14

What are secondary precepts?

Answer 14

• Things we should or shouldn’t do because they uphold or fail to uphold the primary precepts
• offers more flexibility with the use of human reason

Question 15

What are real and apparent goods?

Answer 15

• Apparent good: something that seems like a good action but in reality goes against the precepts eg. Lying to protect feelings
• real good: actions which accede by precepts

Question 16

What does aquinas say about real and apparent goods?

Answer 16

We pursue apparent goods rather than real goods as we think we are using the right thing
Humans would never knowingly pursue evil

Question 17

For aquinas, how can humans reach the ‘real good’?

Answer 17

• By following the four Cardinal virtues as the basis of natural morality
• they allow the self to fulfil its purpose + telos (flourish)

Question 18

What are the 4 Cardinal virtues?

Answer 18

• Prudence (practicalwisdom)
• justice (fairness)
• fortitude (courage)
• temperance (self-control)

Question 19

What are the Christian theological virtues?

Answer 19

They are given to humans through Gods grace
- Faith: belief in God and church
- Hope: of heaven and beatific vision
-Love: (charity) love of and above an things/ one’s neighbour

Question 20

What did aquinas mean by interior and exterior acts?

Answer 20

• To act in a good way for the wrong reason would be a good exterior but bad interior act → should de done out of charity
• the ultimate interior motivation should be giving glory to God
• believed acts to be intrinsically good or bad

Question 21

What is the doctrine of double effect?

Answer 21

• Pojman: if going something morally good has a morally bad side effect, it is ethically okay if the result wasn’t intended
• there are 2 effects of an action, one good and one bad

Question 22

Pojman quote on double effect?

Answer 22

It is sometimes permissible to do a good act despite knowing that it will bring about bad consequences

Question 23

What is an example of the double effect?

Answer 23

• A mugger attacks you with a knife→ you defend yourself in fear for your life
  1 your life is preserved
  2 the mugger is killed

Question 24

What are the 4 conditions of double effect?

Answer 24

• The nature of the act
• The means end
• the right intention
• the proportionality

Question 25

"Is it lawful to kill a man in self defence?

Answer 25

- To aquinas, self defence may have 2 results → sawing ones own life and slaying the aggressor - with the intention to save ones own life, it is not unlawful

Question 26

What is manualism?

Answer 26

- NML became deontological in the 17th century with a Catholic preference for a morality of obligation and rules→ led to manuals of moral theology - Catholic Church our rules above virtues unlike aquinas who gave them the same amount of importance

Question 27

What is proportionalism?

Answer 27

- A move within the Catholic Church to simplify NML and make it more applicable for everyday life - responds to natural law by working within its framework with no absolutist interpretation

Question 28

Strengths of proportionalism?

Answer 28

- Flexible and takes circumstances into account - viewed as robust, around a long time -allows individuals to be autonomous as based on common sense - allows a more compassionate stance as takes into account modern issues

Question 29

Weaknesses of proportionalism?

Answer 29

- Appears too subjective and makes moral decision making unclear - relies on human judgement so fallible and not what God intended - calculations used to determine value of an act → appears a consequentionalist way of making moral decisions - condemned by Catholic Church→ denies that an action can be in itself intrinsically evil

Question 30

Strengths of NML?

Answer 30

- Focus on action rather than consequence, human rights and egalitarian principles safeguarded - aquinas gives positive view of humanity with moral guidance for salvation (open to all faiths-) - primary precepts more than just rules to lead a moral life, allows discussion on moral issues - provides means of establishing universal moral principles in a common view of humanity

Question 31

Weaknesses of NML?

Answer 31

- Could argue no such thing as a common View, challenges application of common moral law - Karl Barth would call unhelpful as neglects mankind is in need of grace - argued too legalistic and duty found → Fletcher would call type of approach Jesus rejected - does not offer support for those who do not "fit the mould" - argues we should all adopt the same patterns of behaviour - idealistic view of human nature (apparent goods)