Natural Law Flashcards
What is good according to Natural Law?
Action in accordance with God’s created purpose
What is conscience made up of?
- Synderesis
- Conscientia
What is synderesis?
Special habit of intellect that provides first moral principles
What is conscientia?
The ability to make correct moral judgements
Why is morality inherent to human nature?
Humans are rational beings created in the image of God
What is beatific vision?
Knowledge and fellowship with God sought through reason
How is Natural Law deontological?
It judges the goodness of an action based on some quality of the action itself
How is Natural Law teleological?
It judges the goodness of an action based on its compatibility with the goal of beatific vision
What is the purpose of the primary precepts?
Identify God-given purposes to bring us closer to achieving good and avoiding evil
What are the primary precepts?
- Power
- Orderly living in society
- Worship God
- Educate children
- Reproduce
What are secondary precepts?
Secondary reflections of primary precepts which may be overruled by other precepts
What is the purpose of the cardinal virtues?
Must be practised and cultivated in order to achieve right reason
What are the 4 cardinal virtues?
- Prudence
- Justice
- Fortitude
- Temperance
What is prudence?
The ability to make reasoned judgements
What is justice?
The lasting will that everyone has what they deserve
What is fortitude?
Strength of character required to do what reason dictates
What is temperance?
Caution required to make a considered choice
Why are the revealed virtues ‘revealed’?
They are theocentric, given to humanity through scripture and cannot be achieved without God
What are the 3 revealed virtues?
- Faith
- Hope
- Love
What is the revealed virtue of faith?
Belief in God despite lack of empirical evidence
What is the revealed virtue of hope?
Looking forward to eternal life
What is the revealed virtue of love?
Wishing good for other people without concern for the self, mirroring love between God and humanity
What does Aquinas believe about humanity?
Humans are naturally and essentially good, do not knowingly pursue evil
What is apparent good?
An act that is seemingly right but actually moves us away from ideal human nature
What is real good?
Acting in accordance with right reason, becoming closer to ideal human nature
What is an exterior act?
The physical act itself
What is an interior act?
The intention of performing an act
How is real good achieved in regard to exterior and interior acts?
Both acts must be good
What is the Doctrine of Double Effect?
If one action produces 2 effects, one of which violates a precept, only the intended action will be judged
What are Aquinas’ 4 Levels of Law?
- Eternal
- Divine
- Natural
- Human
What is eternal law?
God’s creative order reflected in physical laws
What is divine law?
Law delivered through revelation which governs our intentions
What is recta ratio?
Right reason
How does natural law relate to free will?
Allows humans to be free and rational, but not free to the extent to choose what is good or evil
What is human law?
Law of civil communities, only good when aligned with other levels of law
What are 3 strengths of Natural Law?
- Allows for establishment of universal laws with central principles
- Judges both intrinsic value of an action and its outcome
- Doesn’t rely on unpredictable consequences or the influence of emotion
What are 3 weaknesses of Natural Law?
- It is unreasonable for someone who doesn’t believe in God to just accept that human behaviour has moral authority
- Fails to decide situationally
- Assumes a universal culture and human nature
How would Aquinas respond to the argument:
‘Someone who asks to die should have their wishes respected’
They don’t in fact desire the evil of death, only escape from their current evil
Why does the Catholic Church condemn euthanasia?
To take a human life is to usurp God’s right to give and take life
When might the Doctrine of Double Effect allow euthanasia?
When a drug is administered with the intention of relieving pain, even if it is foreseen that it may also shorten life
When might the Doctrine of Double Effect allow abortion?
If a tumour is found in the uterus of a pregnant person and removing it would save the person but kill the baby
When does human life begin according to the Catholic Church?
At conception
When did Aquinas believe ensoulment was for boys and girls?
- 40 days
- 90 days
What is a foetus before ensoulment?
A nutritive then a sensitive soul
Natural Law is meaningless without belief in God:
- The purpose of beatific vision is central
- Primary precepts are founded in scripture
- Works on the assumption that human rationality is God given and so authoritative
Natural Law is not meaningless without belief in God:
- Aristotle’s Prime Mover is sufficiently different from the God of Classical Theism to uphold Natural Law
- Finnis shows law as autonomous and independent from religion
- Many principles of NL can be converted into a secular consideration
The nature of Natural Law works in the modern day:
- Laws are eternal and unchanging
- Provides clear rules with few complications
- Has survived as the basis of moral thinking of the Roman Catholic Church
The nature of Natural Law does not work in the modern day:
- Does not allow situationalism or people to follow their consciences
- Precepts may seem outdated and regressive
- Not as relevant for atheists or humanists who reject God
Human law should be influenced by natural law:
- It provides clear cut, objective and universal guidance
- Encourages virtuous behaviour which can be deduced by reason
- Supports universally accepted laws e.g. murder
Human law should not be influenced by natural law:
- Is too intolerant today
- Rising atheism means God cannot be an adequate basis for law
- Places too much responsibility on the intrinsic morality of human reason
Natural Law is effective in dealing with ethical issues:
- Universally applicable
- Provides clear rules
- Creates link between creator, created and human purpose
Natural Law is ineffective in dealing with ethical issues:
- Outdated in light of complex ethical changes
- DDE is unstable and can be contradictory and inconsistent
- Scorns basis of morality in emotions, which is unfair especially if the emotion is love
Natural Law promotes injustice:
- Discriminates against people who perform an act without fulfilling its apparent purpose
- Promotes old fashioned ideals
- Does not reflect true application of law which considers ‘mitigating circumstances’
Natural Law does not promote injustice:
- Provides community in a collective set of rules
- Universal and eternal
- Advocates basic human rights
Universal - Aquinas
‘Natural Law is the same for all men… there is a single standard of truth and right for everyone… which is known by everyone’
Reason - Aquinas
‘to disparage the dictate of reason is equivalent to condemning the command of God’
Interior vs Exterior - Aquinas
‘But if the will be good from its intention of the end, this is not enough to make the external action good’
Innate goodness - Aquinas
‘the fornicator has merely pleasure for his object, and the deformity of sin is only an accompaniment’
Abortion - Pope John Paul II
‘right from fertilisation the adventure of a human life begins’
Euthanasia - General Medical Council
‘they have the right to refuse treatment even when refusal may result in harm to themselves or even their own death’
Hume on imago dei - Craig
‘but we also have immortal souls, endowed with reason and an understanding of morality - this is what makes us images of God
