natural law Flashcards
what is natural law?
•natural law ethics involve using reason to work out the morally correct behaviour that is in accordance with the goal of being a human.
•natural law derived from rational thought. based on the belief in a divine creator .
is natural law deontological or teleological?
deontological because what is morally correct is determined by fundamental principles that are not based on consequences according to natural law ethics
is natural law relativist or absolutist?
absolutist because they identify the right action by means of the of the primary precepts
what does casuistry mean?
the art of applying key principles to an ethical situation/dilemma or case
who created the theory of natural law?
aquinas
-some argue that the ideals behind natural law can be traced back to aristotle. as aristotle thought the teleological goal for man was to be reasoning creatures and to use reason to recognise how to behave morally
what is natural law mainly about?
•the nature of all human beings. humans are apart of the natural world so they have a ‘purpose’ or ‘nature’
what did aristotle believe was the main goal of human life?
to find eudaimonia (happiness)
what is aristotle believe eudaimonia (happiness) was?
for aristotle ‘happiness’ was very different to ‘pleasure’
•as he thought pleasure is mere gratification
•whereas happiness was living well and being fulfilled, since it involves behaving rationally
what did aquinas agree with aristotle about?
•aquinas agreed that rationality was
a key element of human existence
•aquinas also agreed that everything has been given a purpose
what does aquinas disagree with aristotle about?
unlike aristotle, aquinas argued that the purpose of everything was given to it by god
in summary what did aquinas believe was natural law?
for aquinas, natural law was located in the activity of human reasoning, and by applying reasoning to moral problems. for aquinas, the natural law was created by god to achieve the ultimate purpose of enjoying fellowship with god
what are the 5 primary precepts?
aquinas proposed the 5 primary precepts. they apply to all humans with exception, they are good acts because they lead us towards the main human purpose or goal. they help us identify what our god given purpose in life is therefore they identify as ‘good’ acts
the 5 primary precepts are:
•preserve innocent life
•orderly living in society
•worship god
•educate children
•reproduce to continue the species
what are secondary precepts?
•secondary precepts are derived from primary precepts
•primary precepts are always true and held universally, whereas secondary precepts are not strictly universal since they may not hold in certain circumstances
•an example of a secondary precept would be ‘do not steal’, this reflects the primary precept of ‘orderly living in society’. however in some situations it can be accepted that sometimes situations occur whereby not following a secondary may be supported by another primary precept
FOR EXAMPLE: the act of stealing for the purpose of feeding a hungry child, then the precept of of preserving innocent lives takes precedence.
