Natural Law

Question 1

NL classes:

Answer 1

Absolutist - moral actions are Right or Wrong, no inbetween we die like men
Deontological - there’s stuff that you ought to always do/not do - stuff has intrinsic moral value irrespective of consequences, but it can be justified to go against it (but still ‘wrong’)
Religious - yeah take a wild guess buddy

Question 2

NL Background:

Answer 2

Goes way back to Antigone (5th century BCE) who broke state laws to follow the natural law of burying her brother. Aristotle agreed, as did the Stoics, as did Cicero. 4 levels of law - human, natural, divine (holy books/laws from religious authority), and eternal (nature of god itself) - each leads to the previous

Question 3

NL Basics:

Answer 3

According to Aquinas, NL exists to direct people to their destiny of being with God, covers what and why something is done, ultimate law is ‘do good avoid evil’ (revolutionary), based on reason

Question 4

Primary precepts:

Answer 4

1. Preserve life (what about euthanasia)
2. Reproduce (people can be infertile)
3. Educate ya kids (yeah ok this one’s fair)
4. Have an ordered society (easier said than done)
5. Worship God (just… nah.)

Question 5

Secondary precepts:

Answer 5

What can be deduced from the primary ones, e.g. don’t get abortions cause preserve life. Issues come from the fact that people can interpret stuff differently

Question 6

Real/apparent goods:

Answer 6

We all have a basic good human nature as NL is within us all, so we don’t ever actively do bad stuff, we just do something we think is good cause it makes us feel good. Natural virtues are prudence (cautiousness), temperance (restraint - middle way), fortitude (courage) and justice. Scripture also reveals 3 theological virtues - faith, hope and charity - we should make all of these habitual

Question 7

Interior/exterior acts:

Answer 7

Both the intention and action must be good - if you do a good thing for bad reasons, it’s bad, and if you do a bad thing for good reasons, it’s bad.

Question 8

NL Strengths:

Answer 8

Allows common rules, universal, gives a reason to be moral, judges actions regardless of consequences, a way of life, lots of guidance

Question 9

NL Weaknesses:

Answer 9

Morality may not be universal, we may not have a default good human nature, cultures have differences in morality