2C: Application Of Aquinas’ Natural Law

Question 1

Application examples:

Answer 1

• abortion
• voluntary euthanasia

Question 2

What is abortion?

Answer 2

• the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy - in the UK the legal limit is 24 weeks

Question 3

Application to abortion:

Answer 3

• right reason invokes using the precepts to make right moral decisions. Abortion is wrong, according to NL, as it would break the primary precept of ‘preservation of life’. This would lead to a secondary precept Natural Law or ‘abortion is wrong’ as it wouldn’t uphold primary precept
• also breaks other primary precepts, e.g. ‘reproduction’ and ‘orderly living in society’
• would also be against the virtue of fortitude as you may need courage to confront the fear and uncertainty of pregnancy.
• Aquinas’ NL also states that even if the interior act is morally right; if the exterior act is wrong then the act overall is still wrong.
• In terms of abortion, if the intention (Interior Act) for the abortion is good (helping a young lady out of a difficult and unwanted situation) but the action (Exterior Act) of abortion is wrong (it breaks a Primary Precept) then overall, the action of abortion is still morally wrong despite the good intentions.

Question 4

What is voluntary euthanasia?

Answer 4

• practice of ending a life in a painless manner - usually for someone with a terminal illness.
• carried out at the request of the person who wishes to die

Question 5

Application to voluntary euthanasia:

Answer 5

• same arguments as abortion