Natural Law Flashcards
What is Natural Law based on the idea of?
That there is a natural order to the world
What does everything have according to Aristotle?
A natural purpose or telos
What is something if it fulfils its purpose according to Aristotle?
Good
What did Aristotle see human beings purpose to be?
Eudaimonia which is human flourishing
When do humans seem to find greatest fulfilment according to Aristotle?
Playing our role within scoeity
What is will a “good” man do according to Aristotle?
Pursue his telos and contribute to his social group, this will give hime the greatest satisfaction and it is his natural behaviour
Why was the rediscovery of Ancient Greek writings a challenge to Medieval cChristianity?
It was based on reason
What was the Bible to Medieval Christianity?
Absolute truth
What did Thomas Aquinas argue?
That properly applied reason would reach the same conclusions as the Bible, as both reason and the Bible were given to us by God
What did Aquinas use Aristotle’s ideas as?
The basis for his own reasoned argument
What are humans designed to do?
Reflect the image of God
What is our telos for Aquinas?
To pursue perfection i.e. reflect the image of God
What happens when we fulfil our purpose?
We feel fulfilled and flourish
As God designed our human nature, then to be “natural” is…
To be good
What did Aquinas conclude about human nature?
That there are Primary Precepts which seem to be an intrinsic part of our human nature
What are the Primary Precepts?
To worship, to learn, to reproduce, to preserve life and to live harmoniously
What must we use to work out how best to fulfil these primary precepts?
Our God given reason, this reason is called synderesis
By using synderesis what may you conclude about marriage?
It is good because it leads to reproduction and harmonious living
What may you conclude interferes with the primary precepts?
Abortion, contraception, homosexuality as they all interfere with reproduction etc
What are the conclusions from synderesis called?
Secondary precepts
According to Aquinas it is natural to?
Avoid evil and pursue good
What are mistakes the result of?
Wrongly applied reason
If someone has used wrongly applied reason, what have they done?
Sinned
According to Aquinas, sinners are not…
Evil, they have just fallen short of their intended purpose
What happens sometimes when we try to fulfil a primary precept?
We break another primary precept
What is breaking primary precepts unintentionally known us?
Double effect
What is an example of double effect?
Performing a hysterectomy on a pregnant woman will save her life, but result in the death of the foetus. The original intention was to save life but abortion is an unfortunate by-product
If you were to accidentally give a dying patient a lethal dose of a pain killing drug, what would Aquinas say?
The intention was to relieve pain but the outcome is that you failed to preserve his life. Aquinas would argue our good intention is more important than the unfortunate by-product
What are some more liberal followers of Natural law?
Proportionalist
What does proportionalism recognise?
It is always wrong to break a primary precept but sometimes it is necessary
What would proportionalists argue about abortion as a result of rape?
Abortion is wrong as it goes against the precept to reproduce, but in the exceptional circumstance it is necessary
What is the proportionalist argument?
A weak sanctity of life argument
What is Natural law a part of?
A hierarchy of law
What is the highest law?
The Eternal law, it is beyond human comprehension and these laws govern the universe
What is the second highest law?
Divine law, this is written in the Bible and will confirm our right use of reason
When can human/state law be ignored?
When it comes into conflict with God’s laws
What is Natural law?
Deontological and teleological
Why is is considered deontological?
Once we have used our reason to work out what is right, then it is our duty to fulfil our purpose
Why is it considered teleological?
Our moral behaviour is also a means to an end as we are striving to reflect the image of God
