Natural Moral Law

Question 1

what is natural moral law?

Answer 1

God created humans in his image,
The universe as created by god is moral,
Humans need to look at the natural world and using reason work out what is moral.

Question 2

What are the 5 primary precepts?

Answer 2

1. preserve life
2. reproduce
3. educate the young
4. create an ordered society
5. worship God

Question 3

8 marker : explore the key concepts of natural moral law

Answer 3

1. 5 primary precepts, always moral ( aquinas )
   - preserve life
   - reproduce
   - educate the young
   - ordered society
   - worship god
   absolute and reflect gods law
   followed by secondary precepts which give clearer laws
   i.e preserve life goes to do not kill.
2. double effect
   -an action that has a good and bad effect can be moral if its intention is good i.e..
   -similarly a good intention doesnt always mean a good action i.e stealing to help a friend financially.
3. real and apparent goods
   -humans always seek what they view as good but sometimes choose apparent goods ( things that seem good but aren’t )
   - a real good helps us achieve our telos, purpose, and aligns with primary precepts.

Question 4

8 marker : explore the role of natural moral law as a way of understanding moral actions

Answer 4

1. primary and secondary precepts ( aquinas )
   -Primary Precepts i.e preserve life, reproduce, live in society provide a universal framework to judge moral actions.
   -Secondary Precepts apply these to real-life situations i.e do not kill
   -Actions are moral if they align with these precepts.
2. double effect
   -explains how some actions with bad consequences can still be moral if the intention is good.
   -helps people judge actions where outcomes are complex i.e pain relief that may shorten life
3. real and apparent goods
   -helps distinguish between actions that truly fulfil human nature (real goods) and those that seem good but lead us away from our telos (apparent goods)
   -supports deeper moral reflection.

Question 5

12 marker : assess the important concepts of natural moral law

Answer 5

1. Primary and Secondary precepts
   - explain
   S - provides a clear, structured moral guidance
   W - critics argue too rigid and ignores individual circumstances
2. Double Effect
   - explain
   S - adds flexibility
   W - Can be seen as a loophole and difficult to apply consistently
3. Real and Apparent Goods
   - explain
   S - helps to explain moral mistakes
   W - critics say its hard to judge what is truly good for everyone