natural law Flashcards
aquinas’ book -
summa theologica
natural law is a system of law based on the close …
observation of natural order in the world
telos
aquinas believed everything has a purpose
the telos of humans is the goodness of God
telos AO2
it is empirical - its a biological fact that certain behaviours cause an organism to flourish
HOWEVER
the reason for the orientation towards certain behaviours is because evolution programmed them into us - enables survival
HOWEVER
polkinghorne - science is limited, explains the what but not the why
HOWEVER
Dawkins - not valid to assume there is a why
telos aquinas quote
the light of reason is placed in every man
4 tiers of law
1) eternal law
2) divine law
3) natural law
4) human law
4 tiers of law - eternal
gods plan built into the nature of everything
highest form
4 tiers of law - divine law
god’s revelation to humans in the bible
4 tiers of law - natural law
the moral law god created in human nature
universal
4 tiers of law - human law
laws humans make
if it contradicts with higher forms it can be broken
synderesis
do good and avoid evil
primary precepts
protect and preserve life
live in an orderly society
worship god
educate people about god
reproduce
POWER
all born with ability to know them
primary precepts AO2
if all hum and are for with the ability to know these we should expect to find more moral agreements than we do
freud - may just be social conditioning
its outdates - medieval society = chaotic and so needed absolutist ethical principles
in secular society we don’t need them
secondary precepts
deduced from primary precepts
applications of the PP in certain situations
e.g preserve life = abortion is wrong
cardinal values
prudence
temperance
justice
fortitude
required for us to achieve human fulfilment
cardinal values AO2
John finnis
humans desire to pursue a number of goods in life
real goods
in accordance to the PP
contribute to0 eudaemonia
apparent goods
tempt us
don’t further promote human flourishing
doctrine of double effect
a single action has 2 effects
intention is important - if intention is good the action cannot be bad
ao2 NL follows the bible
exodus ‘do not steal’
PP - live in an orderly society
HOWEVER
does conflict
corinthians ST PAul praises celibacy - contradicts PP reproduce
ao2 utilitarianism
points to many cases in which upholding a rule causes more pain than pleasure
NL takes no account of the situation and or consequences
NL ignores agape ao2
its based on fixed deontological rules so agape is not. major element
love strongly features in the bible - love thy neighbour
NL promotes human rights
human rights charter - ‘the right to life’ right to education’
vary - nazis tried according to universal moral laws modelled on NL thinking
ao2 cross culturally
there is a core set of moral views found cross-cultural
HOWEVER
could result from the basic requirement of a society to function - a practical basis not God
ao2 Karl barth
NL places a dangerous reliance on human reason
Barth - the fall corrupted the ability to reason
ao2 constant
it is objective as it gives us rules independent of our individual thoughts and desires - not biased by desires and feelings
= its constant
