Natural Law

Question 1

Absolute

Answer 1

Something is always right or wrong, never in between

Question 2

Deontological

Answer 2

Always about action and outcome

Question 3

Aquinas: Final cause (telos)

Answer 3

Union with God

Question 4

4 tiers of the law

Answer 4

1. Eternal law (mind of God
2. Divine law (Church/Bible law)
3. Natural law (worked out by reason)
4. Human law (human made law like ‘law of the land’)

Question 5

Synderesis

Answer 5

Do good and avoid evil

Question 6

5 primary precepts

Answer 6

• Preservation of life
• Reproduction
• Education
• Live in society
• Worship God

Question 7

Secondary precepts

Answer 7

Examples of the first precepts

For example a secondary precept of Preservation of life is by saving someone

Question 8

Real good

Answer 8

Something that is actually beneficial

Question 9

Apparent good

Answer 9

Something that looks like its good (e.g playing games) but it inst

Question 10

Interior act

Answer 10

What our motive behind the action is. Why we have done something

Question 11

Exterior act

Answer 11

What is actually Performed/Done

Question 12

Eudaimonia

Answer 12

Living well, as an ultimate end in life which all other actions should lead towards

Question 13

Doctrine of Double Effect

Answer 13

Its about motive.

For example if a man attacks a woman and the woman kills the man, is that okay?

Aquinas would say yes as the woman didn’t have the intention of killing the man but instead the intention was preservation of life

Question 14

Criticisms

Answer 14

• Primary precepts only work if you follow God
• Some situations aren’t as straightforward as protect life and do good so its not useful
• The natural part of natural law makes it seem that same sex marriage isn’t allowed because it isn’t “natural”
• Creates social norms that eventually will be seen as unethical (e.g White supremacy)
• Inflexible

Question 15

Permissive society

Answer 15

Allowing great or excessive freedom of behaviour

Question 16

The Lady Chatterley Trial

Answer 16

Act passed in 1959 made it so no offensive literature was published

Question 17

The Contraceptive pill

Answer 17

Contraceptive pill available to all woman. First for married but family act made it for unmarried

Question 18

Abortion Act

Answer 18

Legalised abortion for first 28 weeks of gestation

Question 19

The Sexual Offences Act

Answer 19

Legalised homosexuals over 21 or over (not woman)

Question 20

The Divorce Reform Act

Answer 20

Couples could divorce if they can prove that the marriage has broken down