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Religious Studies > Ethics: Natural Moral Law Knowledge > Flashcards

Ethics: Natural Moral Law Knowledge Flashcards

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1
Q

Define Ethics

A

Concerns morality and behaviour: our understanding of right and wrong.

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2
Q

What are Normative Ethical Theories.

A

Focuses on rules or principles that are followed when making ethical decisions.

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3
Q

Define Deontological.

A

Right and wrong are governed by what is obligated to happen: some things are intrinsically right or wrong.

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4
Q

Define Intrinsically.

A

Essentially natural.

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5
Q

Define Teleological.

A

Focuses on the end result of the action which can justify the consequences. Right and wrong are governed by the consequences of the action.

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6
Q

Who first developed Natural Moral Law?

A

Aristotle first developed this concept to ethics, focusing to use reasoning to understand what makes someone a good person as well as following teachings from the Catholic Church. Thomas Aquinas understood this idea and developed these ideas into Natural Moral Law. Straddles deontology and teleology.

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7
Q

Define Eternal Law.

A

God is the creator, all things come from him. Humans life are based on Gods orders, meaning we all share a common nature for what’s right and what’s wrong.

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8
Q

Define Divine Law.

A

The principles God has set for us are revealed through the divine law. Eg. The bible and church.

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9
Q

Define Natural Moral Law.

A

The concept that human reason helps us understand right and wrong. Eg. “Do not kill” is something in divine law but also in our general reasoning as humans.

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10
Q

Define Human Law.

A

The laws humans make by understanding Divine law and NML.

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11
Q

What is the Synderesis rule?

A

“ Good is to be done and perused and evil is to be avoided”.

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12
Q

What are the Primary Precepts?

A

W- Worship God
O- Ordered Society
R- Reproduce
L- Learning
D- Defend Life

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13
Q

What are Primary Precepts?

A

These are rules which Aquinas came up with, suggesting humans should follow. In other words they are responsibilities we ought to fulfil.

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14
Q

What is Absolutism?

A

Somethings are right and somethings are wrong. These things are fixed.

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15
Q

Name FOUR strengths of Natural Moral Law.

A
  1. Teaches people how to manage freedom & apply a system of rules.
  2. NML is realistic and acknowledges that people can make mistakes.
  3. Can be applied in different situations.
  4. It is a way of combining faith with reason.
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16
Q

Name THREE weaknesses of NML.

A
  1. Presumes we all share a common human nature designed by God which could cause discrimination.
  2. Vagueness, meaning it isn’t specific about certain scenarios.
  3. Conflicting ideas, in relation to having a lack of flexibility.
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17
Q

What is The Doctrine of Double - effect?

A

It is sometimes alright to do something morally good even if it is know the side effects are morally bad, so long the side effects do not override the good act.

18
Q

What is an example of The Doctrine of Double - effect?

A

Eg. Someone argues that if you killed someone with the intention of killing you, the act of murder was self defence.

19
Q

What are the FOUR conditions in The Doctrine of Double-effect that must be satisfied before the act is morally permissible?

A
  1. The nature of the condition. ( morally good ).
  2. The means- end. ( only justifiable for specific reason ).
  3. The right intention ( cannot be immoral ).
  4. The proportionality condition: good effect must be equivalent to the bad.
20
Q

What is Aquinas argument about killing for self defence?

A

Aquinas argues that killing as self defence is justified as long as the acts are proportional.

21
Q

Define Proportionalism.

A

A theory in ethics which lies between consequentialism and deontology, stating that it is never right to go against a principle unless there is a proportionate reason to justify doing so.

22
Q

What is Aquinas example of proportionalism?

A

Eg. Would it be okay for a starving man to steal in order to feed himself.

23
Q

Define Canon Law.

A

Ecclesiastical ( church ) law.

24
Q

Define Seminary.

A

In Catholicism, it is a school for training clergy ( a body of all people ordained for religious duties ).

25
Q

Define Intrinsic Good.

A

Something that is ethically good.

26
Q

What is an Agent?

A

The person involved in making ethical decisions.

27
Q

Define Consequentialism.

A

The approach to ethics in which the rightness or wrongness of an act is judged by its consequences.

28
Q

Name TWO strengths of Proportionalism.

A
  1. Proportionalism approach is based on common sense.
  2. Proportionalism is a wide approach, used outside of NML.
29
Q

Name TWO weaknesses of Proportionalism.

A
  1. Proportionalism has been condemned by the Catholic Church as some acts are know to be intrinsically evil.
  2. Consequentialism is problematic as we don’t know how we can make accurate predictions about value and dis value. It depends on moral guesswork.
30
Q

Who started NML?

A

Thomas Aquinas.

31
Q

Who developed NML?

A

Aristole

32
Q

What are Secondary Precepts?

A

They are detailed proximate conclusions drawn from primary precepts. They govern how we should act in specific situations, depending on our own judgment of what to do in a given situation.

33
Q

What is Reason?

A

Reason is used in order to establish how we should live our lives. We use our reason to fulfil the requirements of the primary precepts and therefore to achieve our aim of doing good and avoiding evil.

34
Q

What is an Example of an Apparent good?

A

An example of an apparent good is taking drugs - it seems like we are doing a good thing but in reality we are not.

35
Q

What is the difference between exterior and interior acts?

A

An interior act is immediately caused by the will, whereas an exterior act is immediately caused by a power different from the will, but mediately by the will.
Good actions= exterior. Good intention= interior.

36
Q

What are some examples of real goods?

A

Examples: food, shelter, health, wealth, pleasure, knowledge, and liberty, friends, and civil peace.

37
Q

What are some examples of apparent goods?

A

Examples include: sweets, good music, and fine wine.

38
Q

Define Apparent Good.

A

The outcome of a moral choice which is incorrectly arrived at without using
reason. e.g. by following instincts

39
Q

Define Real Good.

A

The outcome of a moral choice which is directed correctly by reaso

40
Q

Define Interior act.

A

The intention behind an act.

41
Q

Define Exterior act.

A

The act itself.

42
Q

What are the FOUR conditions that must be satisfied before an act is considered permissible?

A
  1. The nature of the act: the action must be either morally good/ neutral.
  2. The means-end: the bad effect must not be the means by which the good effect is achieved
  3. The right intention: the intention must only be to achieve the good effect. The bad effect must be only an unintended side effect.
  4. The Proportionality : the good effect must at least be equivalent in importance to the bad effect.

Religious Studies (16 decks)

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