natural moral law Flashcards
what type of ethical theory is NML
deontological
what does deontological mean
focuses on whether an action is right or wrong based on a set of rules and principles, regardless of the consequences.
natural moral law
holds that there are rights and moral values that can be understood from human nature, and which can be deduced by human reason
four fold division of law
eternal law
divine law
NML
human law
eternal law
law which comes from God’s nature as the creator
divine law
this can be found in special revelation, such as the bible and through the teachings of the church
NML
discovered through human reason and not through revelation
human law
laws which appear in our legal systems
main guiding principle
good is to be done and pursued and evil is to be avoided
primary precepts
preservation of life
reproduction
educating offspring
worship god
live in an ordered society
the primary precepts are not deontological..
teleological- concerned with our final end
- our telos (goal) on earth is happiness, what aquinas calls ‘human flourishing’
secondary precepts
rules that derive from the primary precepts and govern how we should act in specific situations
difference between real and apparent goods
real goods are genuine goods that actually help us achieve our telos
apparent goods are things that seem good or pleasurable on the surface, but don’t actually help us achieve our telos.
Choosing real goods is essential for developing virtue and living a good life.
interior and exterior acts
exterior acts can be properly good if they are accompanied by the right (interior) intention.
cardinal virtues
aquinas accepts these as the foundation of natural morality: prudence (practical wisdom), justice, fortitude (courage) and temperance (self-control), and these allow the self to fulfil it’s purpose
why cardinal virtues matter
They help humans act in accordance with reason, and therefore in line with Natural Law. They help us choose real goods over apparent ones.
christian theological virtues
faith hope and love
why do theological virtues matter
These perfect the cardinal virtues. They allow humans to reach their telos (ultimate purpose) - which is eternal union with God. They lift the moral life beyond reason to a spiritual level
principle of double effect
This principle explains when it’s morally acceptable to perform an action that has both a good and a bad effect.
e.g. giving painkillers to a dying patient (good- relieves pain, bad-might shorten life)
4 conditions that must be satisfied before an act is morally permissible
nature of the act
means-end
right intention
proportionality
nature of the act condition
The action must either be morally good or indifferent / neutral.
means end condition
The bad effect must not be the means by which the good effect is
achieved. You cannot use a bad thing to make a good thing happen.
right intention condition
The intention must only be to achieve the good effect The bad effect
must be only an unintended side-effect
proportionality condition
The good effect must at least be equivalent in importance to the bad
effect.
