Natural Moral Law

Question 0

What is natural moral law deontological ?

Answer 0

Concerned with what you have to do.

Question 1

What type of theory is natural moral law?

Answer 1

Absolutist and deontological

Question 2

Why is natural moral law absolutist?

Answer 2

Because it tells you absolutely what to do .

Question 4

What does natural moral law do?

Answer 4

Reason about the nature of the world and humans

Question 5

Quote by Stoics:Cicero?

Answer 5

true law is right reason in agreement with nature.

Question 6

What did Aquinas believe about God?

Answer 6

that he created the universe and therefore created the order and purpose.

Question 7

what did he believe NML was?

Answer 7

the following of God’s final purpose.

Question 8

what did Aquinas believe was the ultimate aim of following NML?

Answer 8

to achieve a union with God.

Question 9

what are primary precepts ?

Answer 9

identified actions which are good and absolute.

Question 10

what are the five primary precepts ?

Answer 10

PLERW - preserve life, live in society, educate children, reproduce and worship.

Question 11

what are secondary precepts ?

Answer 11

laws which help us to achieve our secondary precepts

Question 12

what are the (4) secondary precepts ?

Answer 12

MUDS - do not murder, do not abort and unborn child, defend the defenceless and do not commit suicide.

Question 13

How do we reach our primary precepts ?

Answer 13

we use our secondary precepts and we arrive at our primary precepts using reason and nature.

Question 14

What was Aristotle’s main ideas ?

Answer 14

Everything in life has a purpose and therefore there has to be an efficient and a final cause

Question 15

what is an efficient cause ?

Answer 15

Getting something done.

Question 16

what is the final cause ?

Answer 16

the end product.

Question 17

when is the efficient cause deemed good ?

Answer 17

when the final cause has been achieved.

Final aim = eudaimonia.

Question 18

Who is a modern NML philosopher, and what did they propose ?

Answer 18

Bernard Hoose = proportionalism - not every moral value is absolute, it can be linked to circumstances. include factors which are non-moral but help when making moral decisions.

Question 19

What are the strengths of NML?

Answer 19

• it’s focus on reason which allows it to be universal.
• its emphasis on purpose gives humans positive structures in their lives.
• because it is absolutist it provides a clear source of guidance and certainty.

Question 20

what is the foundational problem?

Answer 20

Aquinas = God created the order within nature.
Aristotle = God did not create the order within nature.
would mean that NML would require a belief in God.

Question 21

how would the foundational problem be countered ?

Answer 21

universality - would not be universal if based on God.

Question 22

What is the problem of interpretation ?

Answer 22

people interpret nature in different ways, so will have a differing view on what actions are good and bad.

Question 23

How would the problem of interpretation be countered ?

Answer 23

Problem for other ethical theories such as virtue ethics.

Question 24

Another weakness of NML?

Answer 24

it commits a naturalistic fallacy because Aquinas bases what we ought to do (obey God) on the basis of what is (moral law comes from God)