Natural Law

Question 1

synderesis rule

Answer 1

do good and avoid evil

Question 2

Apparent Good

Answer 2

a good which attracts but which will not truly lead to our happiness eg getting drunk or gambling

Question 3

5 primary precepts

Answer 3

Preservation of life,
ordering of society,
worship of God,
education of children,
reproduction.

Question 4

4 tiers of law

Answer 4

Eternal, Divine, Natural, Human

Question 5

interior vs exterior acts

Answer 5

outside of mind or not
intention matters - charity isn’t good unless right intention
not just what we are seen doing (exterior acts) but our intention behind it (interior)

Question 6

Deontological

Answer 6

ethical theory based on duty and obligation

Question 7

Aquinas on Human Nature

Answer 7

innate orientation to good

Question 8

Eudamonia

Answer 8

human flourishing

Question 9

Secondary precepts

Answer 9

Application of the primary precepts using human reason

Question 10

Bacon on natural law

Answer 10

• father of Empiricism
• form and final cause have no place in science and are matters for metaphysics
• late supported by stephen hawking (no telos)

Question 11

Fletcher on natural law

Answer 11

• should be moral agreement if everyone is expected to know primary precepts
• suggests it is culture and upbrirnging
  HOWEVER - murder is seen across all cultures as bad
  BUT there are just cross cultural similiarities because there are requirements for society to function (memes)

Question 12

Is natural law too optimistic

Answer 12

• natural inclination to good
• holocuast etc
• simply an orientation there are reasons ppl r not always good eg original sin

Question 13

Doctrine of Double Effect

Answer 13

The idea that if doing something good also produces a bad side effect, it is still ethically permissible as the bad effect was not intended.

Question 14

real good

Answer 14

A good that leads a human to reach their purpose and fulfil human flourishing.

Question 15

criticism of syndersesis rule

Answer 15

• too optimistic to assume we can use reason to know what is good
• neilsen

Question 16

Neilsen

Answer 16

Cultural Relativism- difference in cultures e.g. the legalisation of homosexuality in the UK but not in others, exhibit how there cannot be objective truth
- questions objectivity of primary precepts

Question 17

doctrine of double effect case study (twins)

Answer 17

Killing Mary to Save Jodie- UK 2001- two girls born connected at abdomen, leaving them attached would kill them both but separating them would kill Mary but Jodie would have a large chance of survival- doctors won the case (against the devout Roman Catholic parents who believed that killing is always wrong) at court and Jodie survived by Mary died