john finnis development of natural law

Question 1

who is john finis ?

Answer 1

(1940-present day)
. Australian legal philosopher and jurist
. professor at oxford university
. author of natural law and natural rights 1980,2011)
. his work is major contribution to philosophy of law and is a redevelopment of Aquinas’ natural law

Question 2

what are the features of goods ?

Answer 2

intrinsically good
all equally good
universal to all cultures
self-evident
not based on anything else
objectively and fundamentally true

Question 3

what are the seven goods ?

Answer 3

1. life
2. knowledge
3. play
4. aesthetic experience
5. friendship
6. practical reasonableness
7. religion

Question 4

define life ?

Answer 4

including self-preservation, freedom from pain, bodily health, freedom to procreate, marriage between a man and a woman

Question 5

define knowledge?

Answer 5

to comprehend and make sense of the world and our experience in it

Question 6

define play

Answer 6

seeking fun for its own sake

Question 7

define aesthetic experience

Answer 7

an appreciation of beauty, both in the natural world and in that which we create ourselves

Question 8

define friendship

Answer 8

peace and harmony between people , altruism

Question 9

define practical reasonableness

Answer 9

the working out of how to put a basic practice into good practice

Question 10

define religion

Answer 10

the freedom to have a harmony between the self and a non-human reality that gives meaning and purpose to life