Natural Law

Question 1

Natural Law (general idea)

Answer 1

What is good or bad is inscribed in our Nature

ex: it is bad to torture someone because it goesagainst his natural biological functions

Question 2

NL gives a picture of morality which:
* __
* __
* __

Answer 2

• is universal and objective
• can be known without appeal to religion
• is not arbitrary and contingent

Question 3

Does NL it make it possible and meaningful to look for wtical truths with philosphical tools?

Answer 3

Yes

Question 4

Hume’s Law

Answer 4

You cannot derive an ought from an is
(completley different kinds of consideration)
* just by describing how the world is you cannot derive an ethical conclusion about what should or ought to be done

In general:
(1) the world is so and so (description)
(C) therefore, the worldshould be so and so(prescription

Question 5

Hume’s Law

Polygamy example

Answer 5

Argument 1:
(1) Polygamy has existed since the dawn of time (fact)
(C) therefore, polygamy ismorally good (or ought to be permitted)

Argument 2:
(1) Polygamy has existed in many human societies (fact) (C) therefore, polygamy is morally good (or ought to be permitted)

Argument 3:
(1) Polygamy exists inother animals (fact)
(C) therefore, polygamy is morally good (or ought tobe permitted)

Question 6

Response: the notion of Nature

Answer 6

General idea: specific 🔍
the Nature of a thing is a description of that thing which makes it possible to say what is good or bad for that thing

Question 7

Response: the notion of « Nature »
Example: nature of the tree, nature of the animal

Answer 7

🌳
* the leaves convert solar radiation into energy for thetree, via photosynthesis
→ the leaves ought to be able to do photosynthesis
* (otherwise the tree will not flourish)

🦥
* blood circulation brings oxygen from the lungs tothe other organs
→blood ought to be able to transmit oxygen efficiently
* (otherwise the animal will not flourish)

Question 8

Response: the notion of « Nature »

Application to Ethics

Answer 8

Nature of the human being
- it is in the Nature of Human Beings to…
- therefore Human Beings ought to…
- (otherwise they will not flourish)

(human nature, not nature in general)

Question 9

What is the Human n
Nature?

Answer 9

What human beings are « made for », or the« meaning » of human life
= Anthropology

Question 10

What is human nature?

Problem of human nature being Anthropolgy

Answer 10

There are many different anthropologies:

• Atheist naturalist anthropology
  (evolutionary)
• Christian anthropology
  (created by God for eternal life, purpose of their life is to love God and others for eternity after natural death)
• Atheist existentialist anthropology
  (human beings can freely and arbitrarily invent their ownpurposes and consequently invent their own morality)

Question 11

Can we do ethics without proposing a religion?

General lesson of Natural Law Ethics:
Ethics is inseparable from the conception you have of Human Beings and the meaning of their life in this world

Answer 11

Yes.
- Philosophical anthropology
🦧🧠🧍🏽
Human Beings are animals
→ importance and goodness of their biological flourishing (illness is bad)
… but not animals like others: their individual personality matters (not just the species)
→we should protect people with a handicap instead of eliminating them for natural selection
.. and they may have a life after death (cf. Socrates)
– therefore human life has a sacred dimension that transcends this world