Natural Law Flashcards
Deontological definition?
from Latin ‘duty’. Focused on the intrinsic rightness and wrongness of actions
Telos definition?
The end or purpose of something
- comes from Aristotle
Is Natural Law teleological or deontological?
Deontological, based on behaviour according to given laws or moral rules, existing independently of societies or systems
Primary precepts?
Most important rules in life.
- Protect innocent life, Reproduce, Live in an ordered community, Education, Believe in God
Secondary precepts definition?
Laws which follow from primary precepts
Syneresis definition?
Natural Inclination of Humans
- Follow good and avoid evil
- overly optimistic of human nature?
Practical Reason Vs. Reason definition?
Reason
Thinking logically, and a moral sense.
Not enough to know what is reasonable, have to act on it.
Practical Reason
Tool which makes moral decisions
Eudaimonia definition?
Deeply fulfilled in a fundamental way. An ultimate end in life which all other actions should lead towards.
What is the Mean + who developed it + eg ?
Aristotle
- Doing right involves balance between extremes
- Helps to have role models to achieve golden ratios
e.g. Deficiency in bravery is cowardice, excess of bravery is foolhardy
Who developed Natural law
Aquinas 13th Century
What are the 2 ways we can know Natural Law?
- Through revelation –> e.g. Pauls letters to the romans
God gave us two sets of laws
i) Torah for Jews
ii) Natural Law for Gentiles - Through human reason
- Moral life lived according to reason
Reason tells us ultimate purpose / telos of life is fellowship with God
What are Aquinas’ views on free acts?
- Believes proper moral acts are free acts, that come from a freely acting rational person.
Does Aquinas think we can reach telos in this world?
- No
Only satisfied when we achieve telos, but telos cannot be found in this world, only in God
Aquinas on Intention (how can emotion effect decisions)
Aquinas not only concerned about act, but reason for the act.
- A good deed done for a selfish reason means good exterior act is compromised by a bad interior act
- However, cannot do bad for good reason
Good intentions could lead u astray, emotions confuse moral decision
What are the 4 tiers of law
- Eternal Law
–> God plants eternal law in everyone’s rational soul
–> part of Gods mind, all other tiers depend on - Divine Law
–> Sends information about eternal law through divine law
–> Scripture that reveals Gods teachings e.g. bible, tend commandments - Natural Law
–> Natural law allows humans to achieve eternal law without scripture, through human reason
–> Marks humans apart from animals, makes eternal law accessible to whole of humanity - Human law
–> Normal human laws, our response to messages from God .
–> Only need to abide by human laws if they are in accordance with divine + natural law
What are the 5 primary precepts + eg’s of secondary?
- Self preservation + preservation of innocents - do not murder, no abortion
- Reproduction - no artificial conception, no LGBTQ+
- Education - no banning school
- Live harmoniously in society - Marriage
- Worship God - abide by Bible
Real vs. Apparent Good + why do people follow apparent good
- Apparent - Something that seems right in the moment but realise was wrong
- Real - Seems right + was right
Human nature is essentially good,
- Natural law within everyone
- Humans would never knowingly pursue evil
- When people follow apparent good, just an error of judgement
What are the 4 causes
Developed by Aristotle
1. Material Cause
- Material object is made from
2. Formal Cause
- Shape of the thing / how it is arranged
3. Efficient Cause
- What / Who gives it is shape / how it is made
4. Final Cause
- Purpose / Telos of thing
Does Intention or Act matter most for Aquinas?
Both intention and the act are important.
- Acts are intrinsically good or bad
What is the Doctrine of the double effect?
An action may have two effects / ends
- Aquinas States as long as good effect isn’t dependent on bad effect, it can still be good effect
e.g’s
- Aquinas uses example of attacker. Using self defence (follows primary precept of self preservation), violent action is justified as long as force is proportionate
–> Saving your life is not dependent on them dying - still moral act, even if they die
- Doctor administrating morphine as a pain killer. If patient dies due to it it is not immoral act, as pain killing not dependent on patient dying.
What is Phronesis definition?
- Wisdom in a practical sence
–> Reason + Virtue + Conscience = Practical judgement
Strengths of Natural Law (5)
Absolute
- Clear structure + rules
- Answers problems of relativism
Allows some flexibility
- Secondary precepts - applicable to everyday life
- Doctrine of double effect
Universal
- Gives everyone same precepts to follow
–> but, reliance of Christian religious values undermines universal claim
Rationality
- Pairs human reason with following of God / faith
- human nature recognises moral law through reason
Optimistic of Humanity
- e.g. Synderesis
Weaknesses of Natural Law (5)
Absolute
- Rigid + not applicable to everyday life
- No room for individualism or subjectivity
- Donsn’t allow Cultural relativism
Some Flexibility
- secondary precepts allow for subjectivity + human error
- dif people conclude dif secondary precepts from same primary
Not Rational
- Worship God as precept - God’s existence not rational conclusion for all people e.g. Hume rejects existence of God
Outdates
- Reproduction used to condemn abortion, homosexuality and contraception
Hypocritical
- States purpose of Humanity is reproduction but becomes celibate priest
Proportionalism definition, e.g. + scholar
- Bernard Hoose
- Middle ground between deontology and consequentialism
–> in situation where good and evil will result from action, proportionalism is choosing the lesser of two evils
e.g. using violence to end was to bring peaceful end - using practical reasoning to bring about proportional good opposed to exceptionless laws
–> has been condemned by the roman catholic church as consequentialism e.g. John Paul II
What do Grisez and Finnis say about Natural law? + individuals
21st century Catholic
- Aquinas inadequately addresses responsibility for ‘apparent goods’ leading to a lack of moral accountability
Grisez - too rigid - critiques NL’s moral absolutism, overlooks cultural factors effecting morality
Finnis - NL can lead to subordination of individual in favour of common Good
What does scholar Polkinghorne say about Natural Law
- 20th Century theologian
Supports Telos - Science lacks explanations for universe, meaning telos could exist
What does Dawkins say about Natural Law
- Richard Dawkins - 21st century
- Critiques telos - Assumes there is a reason for existence, cannot assume there is a reason for the universe to exist
- Morality is evolutionary - ‘selfish gene’ states cultural norms define morality not universal HN - morality based on survival
Freud on Natural Law
- Sigmond Freud 20th centry
Morality due to social conditioning,
Super-ego internalised moral standards of right and wrong
Barth on Natural Law
- 19th Century theologian
Over-reliance on reason, Human reason dangerous as can lead to worship of idolatry e.g. Nazi’s - “finite has no capacity for the infinite”
George Hart on Natural Law
- 21st century
Legal positivist - believes in separation of morality, especially derived from religious, and law
+ over reliance on presumption of fixed human nature
Hugo Grotius on Natural Law
- 16th Century
supports NL - NL base on reason allows for social harmony + Justice transcending culture and religious - universal
Scholars on Telos
Support
- Polkinghorne - Science lacks explanations, telos could exist
Critique
- Dawkins - Assumes reason for existence, cannot assume universe has reason to exist
Scholars of reason
Supports
- Hugo Grotius - Basis in reason allows for social harmony and Justice transcending culture and religion - universal
Critique
- Barth - over-reliance on reason - reason is dangerous can lead to worship of idolatry e.g. Nazi’s - “finite has no capacity for the infinite”
Scholars on Human Nature
Support Aquinas
- Augustine - People aim for good, but can be mistaken
- Aquinas Syneresis “do good, avoid evil” but can be mistaken, reason as universal and God-given
Critique Aquinas
- Dawkins - Morality as evolutionary - ‘selfish gene’ - cultural norms define morality, morality based on survival
- Freud - Morality due to social conditioning - super-ego internalised moral standards of right + wrong
- George Hart - over reliance on presumption of universal human nature
+Add conscience scholar who did that experiment
