John Finnis Natural Law Flashcards
who was John Finnis
Roman catholic who was a professor of law at Oxford from 1989
what did Finns accept about Aquinas’ natural law
- idea of natural justice applicable to all humanity
what is the purpose of Aquinas’ natural law and what did Finnis think it should be
Aquinas - have good relationship w God and gain eternal life in heaven
Finnis - ensure a person is able to live a worthwhile life and to flourish through pursuing what is really good for human kind
(similar to Aristotle’s idea of eudaimonia but compatible with christian moral thinking, but can also be used by anyone)
what did Finnis say the problem with Aquinas’ natural law was
- too rigid, unnecessarily legalistic and allowed little autonomy ( being able to make own decisions)
-HUMES IS/OUGHT CHALLENGE - you cannot derive values directly from observed facts
what did Finnis look at to create his natural law
universal values which are necessary for humans to lead worthwhile lives instead of lookig at observed facts about human nature.
what did Finnis use instead of primary precepts
seven basic goods
what do the seven basic goods show
what humans need to flourish
what is a good action
one that involves one or more of the seven basic goods
why does finnis say the teh seven basic goods are self evident
they are based on practical reasoning rather than theoretical reasoning about what is best in life
cannot be reduced to a more basic value
we presuppose them in everything we do
what are the 7 different basic goods
1)LIFE (healthy lifestyle)
2)KNOWLEDGE
3)FRIENDSHIP + SOCIABILITY
4)PLAY ( having fun )
5)AESTHETIC EXPERIENCE (entertainment e.g. TV)
6)PRACTICAL REASONABLENESS (working out what to do and actually doing it)
7)RELIGION (can be spirituality and any religion) - may not be necessary for all but for religious ppl it will be part of their flourishing
what are not basic goods and why
FREEDOM + EQUALITY - a way of achieving basic goods not acc a basic good
PURSUIT OF PLEASURE + MATERIAL GAIN - motivated by human desire not practical reason
what basic good did finnis introduce later
marriage - however controversial but based on his RC background
why are the basic goods universal
can be used by anyone and foundation to all ethical actions
what does finnis say about denying the basic goods
it would be ‘straightforwardly unreasonable’
what kind of theory is finnis’ natural law and why (-ological)
deontological + teleological because the basic goods are both the motivation and the goal of any action
