Natural Law Flashcards

1
Q

what is the syneresis principle?

A

our natural disposition to do good and avoid evil - this is known by our conscience

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2
Q

Aristotle’s quote on nature and purpose

A

“Nature makes nothing without a purpose”

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3
Q

what is the essence of man according to aquinas

A

his rational soul

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4
Q

what are the three souls as outlined by Aristotle

A

nutritive, sensitive rational

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5
Q

practical wisdom

A

phronesis

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6
Q

what does Augustine believe about human nature

A

human nature has been corrupted by the fall, and without the assistance of God’s grace, humankind cannot fulfil its proper end

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7
Q

what are Aquinas’ four laws

A

eternal (mind and reason of god), divine (revealed in moral precepts of scripture), natural (innate to all of nature) and human

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8
Q

what is the distinction between real and apparent goods

A

real goods direct us towards arete from achieving our essential nature in accordance with precepts of NL;
apparent goods are what we pursue from a lack of practical judgement or when virtue misdirects our action

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9
Q

a quote that exemplifies the chase of an apparent good

A

‘a fornicator seeks pleasure which involves him in moral guilt’ (because the proper end of sex is reproduction, not pleasure)

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10
Q

what is sin equivalent to

A

acting against reason

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11
Q

what are the primary precepts

A

descriptive; absolute universal principles which are self-evident and express human inclinations

  1. Preservation of life
  2. Ordered society
  3. Worship god
  4. Education
  5. Reproduction
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12
Q

what are the secondary precepts

A

prescriptive; how the primary ones come to be applied through practical knowledge; can vary based on circumstance
e.g. give equal education, do not abort

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13
Q

how does practical wisdom develop

A

through virtuous habits that dispose us act rationally

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14
Q

explain proportionalism

A

it holds that there are certain moral rules and that it cannot be right to go against these rules unless there is a proportionate reason that would justify it;

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15
Q

proportionalism and the distinction between good acts and right acts

A

proportionalist holds that it is possible for an action in itself to be wrong, but in a certain context it may be morally right - in this way the circumstances need to be taken into account

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16
Q

Bernard Hoose’s quote

A

‘an action born of love can be wrong, while an action not resulting from love can be right’

17
Q

what choice is the proportionalist faced with when defining the parameters for a ‘proportionate reason’

A

whether to refer to a rigid calculus like the hedonic one (which they reject) or listen to an individual intuition - neither seems satisfactory

18
Q

name 7 objections to NL

A
  1. Rejection of purpose in nature
  2. the fact-value gap
  3. Basic human goods vary across time and culture
  4. Absolutism can lead to bad, avoidable consequences
  5. too closely allied to the Catholic church
  6. Theological objection
  7. Aquinas’ approach not holistic
19
Q

Aquinas’ definition of NL

A

‘The natural law is the sharing in the eternal law by intelligent creatures’

20
Q

Herbert McCabe quote

A

‘For Aquinas, the basis of the moral life is prudence, right practical reason in the pursuit of charity’

21
Q

Thomas Aquinas on the order of the precepts

A

‘the order of the precepts of the natural law is the order of our natural inclinations’

22
Q

Veritatis Splendor 1995

A

‘The natural law involves universality as it is inscribed in the rational nature of a person. It makes itself felt in every person endowed with reason’

23
Q

James Rachels on NL

A

‘The world is conceived as a rational order with value and purpose built into its very nature’