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Ethics > Natural Law > Flashcards

Natural Law Flashcards

1
Q

Natural law in the Christian tradition is based around the thinking of who?

A

Thomas Aquinas

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2
Q

What is natural law?

A
  • a system of ethics based on a principle that there is such thing as human nature.
  • we should live in accordance with human nature- we should aim to fulfil our purpose.
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3
Q

Natural law is what?

A

Deontological

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4
Q

What does deontological mean?

A

latin for the word ‘duty’, ethics is focused on the intrinsic rightness and wrongness of actions.

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5
Q

Natural law is an absolute system based on what?

A

based on actions and duties.

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6
Q

Aquinas believed that are human nature is what?

A

Human nature is fundamentally good and that all rational people seek goodness, which can be found in the vision of God.

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7
Q

What did Aristotle argue?

A

He argued that something was good if it fulfilled it purpose.- He argued that people aim to achieve eudaimonia ( Human flourishing)

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8
Q

What did Aquinas think?

A

He thought that moral acts come from free rational beings. That we have to be genuinely free to make moral decisions and we have to make them using our reason, which was given to us by God.

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9
Q

According to Aquinas God should be what?

A

God should be the ultimate ‘end’ or purpose for human life.

- being in the presence of God is the Human ‘telos’ or ultimate reason for existing.

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10
Q

Aquinas thought that people need what from God?

A

People need help from God in order to direct their motives and their actions, making sure they do the right thing for the right reason .

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11
Q

Aquinas thought morality was about following law, what are the four tiers of law?

A
  1. Eternal law
  2. Divine law
  3. Natural law
  4. Human law
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12
Q

What is Eternal law?

A

The unchanging reason of God, absolute for all people and all times. This is the highest form of law.

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13
Q

What is divine law?

A

The commandments given by God, usually found in the Bible- teaching people how to live.

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14
Q

What is natural law?

A

People can perceive eternal law by using their reason to reflect on the world and work out how they should behave and think.
God uses natural law to make eternal law accessible to people. Natural law is universal.

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15
Q

What is Human law?

A

The laws people come up with in response to the higher tiers of law, or in the response to the needs of their society, and the way it is organised.
-Human law is the lowest tier of law and can be broken if higher forms of law conflict with it.

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16
Q

What is the key precept?

A
  • the rule of synderesis- do good and avoid evil.
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17
Q

Aquinas claimed that God gave us reason for what?

A

Gives us reason so that we can work out for ourselves, what to do to fulfil our telos.

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18
Q

Aquinas thought all human beings were inclined to do what?

A

inclined to do good because all human being want to survive.

19
Q

He set key rules to promote human flourishing what were these rules?

A

PRIMARY PRECEPTS

20
Q

what are primary precepts?

A

The most important rules in life, to reproduce, to live in a community, to teach the young and to believe in God.

21
Q

What are secondary precepts?

A

These are laws which follow the primary precepts.

22
Q

What did Aquinas make a distinction between?

A

REAL AND APPARENT GOODS

23
Q

What are real goods?

A

Real goods are those which are in accordance with the primary precepts and Gods wishes for humanity.

24
Q

What are apparent Goods?

A

These are things which tempt us because they seem enjoyable but do not further the aim of promoting human flourishing.

25
Q

What do we use to distinguish are real goods from our apparent goods?

A

REASON

26
Q

Aquinas identified what four virtues?

A

NATURAL OR CARDINAL Virtues

27
Q

Aquinas thought that the natural or cardinal virtues were discovered by what?

A

discovered by reason

28
Q

What are the four natural or cardinal virtues?

A

Prudence
temperance
fortitude
justice

29
Q

Aquinas said there are also virtues identified by the Bible, what are these?

A

Faith
Hope
Love

30
Q

What is the doctrine of the double effect?

A
  • one act can embrace two effects- an intended good effect and an unintended bad effect.
  • morality of the act governed by the intended effect
31
Q

Aquinas discusses what situations?

A

He discusses situations where a single action has two effects, for example an act of self- defence resulting in the death of the attacker.

32
Q

Aquinas says intention is important, why?

A
  • If the intention was to do something good, then the action cannot be bad even if there was an unintentional bad result as one of the effects. - Known as doctrine of the double effect.
33
Q

How can you apply the doctrine of the double effect to euthanasia?

A
  • intention of giving powerful does of a drug to someone- is to relieve pain, then that action is good even if the unintentional effect of the drug is to shorten life.
34
Q

strength- natural law can be applied widely, how is this a strength?

A
  • seen as a strength as allows for consideration of different circumstances.
35
Q

strength- some see natural law as offering what?

A

As offering clarity and consistency in its answers and ethical problems- eg key rules to follow, primary precepts and divine law- rules based of the Bible.

36
Q

Strength- It offers a way of looking at the world as what?

A
  • world which is absolute and applies to all times and cultures.
  • the idea of universal moral law is appealing to many.
37
Q

Strength- It combines religious ideas with what?

A

with reason- allowing people to exercise some autonomy in decisions about right and wrong.

38
Q

Strength- It is easy to work out what?

A

What is right and wrong- making a useful system of ethics.- pp/ sp- give a clear indication on what is moral and what is not.
- real/ apparent goods- know what is actually good and what seems to be good because it is enjoyable but does not further the aim of promoting human flourishing.

39
Q

Weakness- the way natural law can be applied widely, why?

A
  • ## can be seen as a weakness as it is not always clear what to do in a moral dilemma.
40
Q

Weakness- Aquinas’s version of natural law, why?

A

proposes a belief in God which not everyone has- not everyone wants to achieve a telos- ultimate end with God- therefore does not aim to promote human flourishing and follow- pp/ps

41
Q

Weakness- are understanding of what is natural is not always what?

A
  • Not always accurate and not always unchanging. For example, homosexuality in the past has been seen as unnatural but many people in the modern western word- now see homosexuality as natural
42
Q

Weakness- natural law can sometimes be seen as what?

A
  • seem overly legalistic and unsympathetic to particular circumstances- such as abortion for a child who has been raped.- Trauma on the child.
43
Q

Weakness- world has changed since the time of Aquinas- applications of natural law might seem inappropriate today, why is this?

A

For example the use of artificial methods of contraception- causes controversy- might seem to go against the precept of reproduction, but avoiding artificial contraception could lead to unwanted pregnancy or the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

Ethics (12 decks)

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