Application Of Finnis’ NL and Proportionalism

Question 1

What is immigration?

Answer 1

• the action of coming to live permanently in a foreign country

Question 2

Basic goods that could support immigration:

Answer 2

• friendship and sociability: the basic good friendship can be seen to support immigration because we should extend the hand of friendship to all - including immigrates
• aesthetic experience: could be argued that immigration support is this basic goods because it opens up a society to a wider variety of cultural aesthetic influences; such as different types of art of poetry
• religion: could be argued that immigration opens up different avenues to answer the ultimate questions that transcend humanity - this enabling greater opportunities to pursue this basic good

Question 3

Requirements of practical reason that could support immigration:

Answer 3

• equality: basic goods apply equally to all people; i.e. you can be self-interested because tou have to look after yourself, however you should also take into account the good of others (you must not neglect others) - therefore we should not neglect the needs of immigrates
• community: you should foster the common good of the community; e.g; the basic goods are about allowing all individuals within a community to flourish. If we consider the world as a community then we must help tiers to flourish by allowing immigration

Question 4

Basic goods they could be against immigration:

Answer 4

• friendship and sociability: ultimately acting in the ingests of one’s friends. This point seems to limit sociability to our friends. Therefore this basic goods does not include people we do not know - like immigrates
• aesthetic experiences: allowing mass immigration could erode a local cultural identity , including its unique aesthetics (e.g local art and poetry). Therefore reducing the opportunities to pursue this basic good.

Question 5

Requirements of practical reason they could be against immigration:

Answer 5

• community: allowing immigration, particularly mass immigration, could course a break down in society as local services are unable to cope with the mass influx of people. therefore the only way to foster the common good for a community ie to reject immigration.

Question 6

Additional points:

Answer 6

• Finnis argues that controlled immigration is a good thing because the benefits to a community outweigh the problems; it helps people within the community pursue the basic goods.
• however mass immigration would have the opposite effect because of the disruption to a community. E.g, a break down in local services and law and order. This would stop a community being able to pursue the basic goods.

Question 7

What is capital punishment?

Answer 7

• the legally authorised killing or someone, as punishment for a crime

Question 8

Basic goods that support capital punishment:

Answer 8

• life: the pursuit of this basic good is impossible; if you are murder we. Therefore we may shout the capital punishment of a murdered, so they cannot murder anyone else - thus stopping others from achieving their basic goods
• friendship and sociability: if one of your existing friends is threatened by an existing killerD then it is in their interest that the killer’s life is terminated.

Question 9

Requirements of practical reason that support capital punishment:

Answer 9

• equality: for the good of others, on a whole, w community should support capital punishment - thus removing the potential threat posed by a murderer
• community: basic goods are all about individuals in a community flourishing.

Question 10

Basic goods that oppose capital punishment:

Answer 10

• life: supports the concept and importance of life. Therefore CP would go against the pursuit of this basic good
• practical reasonableness: points us in the direction that capital punishment is wrong. This is because CP does not seem to act as a deterrent; hence why it is not practised in the UK. Therefore, the pursuit of this would suggest CP is wrong

Question 11

Requirements of practical reason that oppose capital punishment:

Answer 11

• don’t harm: you should never do an act that directly harms a basic good, even if it will indirectly benefit a basic good. E.g. you should not kill as this is the breaking of basic good of life even if it will potentially save more lives later. Therefore CP should never be carried out.