NATURAL LAW Flashcards
Eternal law
God’s mind and omnibenevolent plan for the universe – this is beyond our understanding.
Divine law
Revelation - The Bible/Jesus.
Natural law
The orientation towards the good built into our nature by God.
Human law
The laws we make (which should follow the natural and divine law)
Telos
Our purpose is to glorify God by following the primary precepts of natural law.
Synderesis
The natural inclination to do good and avoid evil.
Primary precepts
Preserve life
Reproduce
Ordered society
Worship
Learn/educate the young
Link between primary and secondary
Applying primary precepts to moral actions/situations and get a secondary precept – a judgement on that particular action/situation. This process is called conscientia.
Doctrine of double effect
Some actions have two effects – one that goes against the primary precepts, and one that fits with them. Aquinas says in situations like this, it is morally acceptable so long as you intended to bring about the good effect and the bad effect was beside your intention.
J.S Mill on the divine law
The divine law of the bible – especially old testament – was clearly only relevant in an ancient more barbaric time. Similarly to natural law, made in the medieval time.
Francis Bacon on telos
Science can explain everything in the universe, or is at least progressing towards explaining everything, without needing the concept of ‘purpose/telos’. The concept is unscientific.
Polkinghorne’s defence of telos
Polkinghorne claims we do need the concept of purpose, to explain why the universe exists in the way it does - even if it is unscientific.
Fletcher on cross-cultures
A weakness of Aquinas’ approach is cross-cultural moral differences. Different cultures have different moral views – e.g. some countries are more religious and thus ban euthanasia, but other countries allow euthanasia.
St Paul quote
“The law of God is written on the heart of every human”
Barth on reason
Rejected natural theology as placing a dangerous overreliance on human reason.
Reason is corrupted by original sin. Original sin might not have totally destroyed reason, but it does make it unreliable.
Barth quote
“The finite has no capacity for the infinite”
Defence against Barth
With natural law, reason isn’t grasping God’s infinite eternal law – just the lesser natural law within our nature.
B.Hoose’s criticism
God designed the natural law and our telos within the garden of Eden. This means it only functions in our state of perfection. Back then, following the natural law perfectly enabled flourishing.
It needs to be more flexible.
Real vs apparent goods
Real goods - intrinsically good actions which aren’t led by temptation or desire.
Apparent goods - actions led by temptation/desire which seem good at the time but have negative consequences.
Aquinas quote on doctrine of double effect.
“Nothing hinders one act from having two effects…only one intended”
Flaws of doctrine of double effect
How can we truly judge someones intentions?
Catholic Church quote
“The natural law remains as a rule that binds men among themselves”
Augustine on reason
Human reason was corrupted by the Fall.
Mercier and Sperber on reason
We can never think truly rationally as we are affected by conformation bias - using reason to work in our favour.
Maclyntyre on reason
“Rationality itself, whether theoretical or practical is a concept within history”
Hobbes against synderesis
“The life of man; short, nasty, brutish”
Bible quote for preserving life
“Do not kill”
Bible quote for reproduction
“Be fruitful and multiply”
Bible quote ordered society
“For there is no governing body except which God has established”
Bible quote for worshipping God
“Worship the lord your God”
Cicero quote
“Natural law is right reason in accordance with nature”
John Finnis
Developed natural law in a modern perspective.
Humans need factors in order to flourish (eg work, play, friendship) - if they are deprived of these then they can’t flourish.
Kenny on the doctrine of double effect
‘principle of double effect must form part of any rational system of morality…it makes a huge difference whether an outcome is intended or merely foreseen.’
Weakness - vagueness
No concrete moral guidance given. simply knowing a general principle does not lead to any obvious specifics.
Weakness - conflict
What if two precepts come into conflict?
eg HIV kills people so we must use birth control (condoms) to preserve life, but then you are forfeiting reproduction.
Weakness - optimism
It views human nature in a very favourable light, it views human nature in a very favourable light.
Weakness - God
Seems to require a fundamental belief in god and our values leading from this belief to be able to fully accept and apply natural law in our morality.
Strength - objective
Gives us rules that are still true outside of our individual minds: factual and constant.
Strength - supports human values and rights
Promotes and protects the ideas of human value and the absolute nature of human rights.
