Normative ethical theories - deontological

Question 1

absolute morality

Answer 1

applies in every situation, fixed for all time and it will never change

Question 2

relative morality

Answer 2

depends on the situation

Question 3

normative ethical theories

Answer 3

tell you how to live your life (ie shar’iah law, ten commandments)

Question 4

descriptive ethical theories

Answer 4

describing how people live their life

Question 5

metaethics

Answer 5

unpicking and breaking down language (ie what does it mean to be right)

Question 6

deontological

Answer 6

concerned with your actions or duties (natural moral law –> concerned with moral actions)

Question 7

teleological

Answer 7

concerned with consequences (situation ethics –> concerned with the result of a situation)

Question 8

Describe Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics

Answer 8

VIRTUE ETHICS

Aristotle believed that happiness was the final goal for all humans but we have to choose it for itself, not as a means to an end
–> humans can only have a good life if we fulfil our purpose
–> the final goal of human beings is EUDAIMONIA (happiness, living well and doing well)

Humans ability to achieve is due to their ability to think, which separated us from other creatures

Question 9

principles of the stoics

(morality,design arg, happiness, NML concerns, centre of the universe)

Answer 9

concerns absolute morality –> true law is applied universally and is unchanging and everlasting
- it is based around ‘one master rule’ which is god

–> there is fundamental design and purpose for the universe (logos) and all humans morality should be concerned with falling into line with this logos
–> they disagree with Aristotle’s vision of happiness and believe happiness shouldn’t be the end goal (can be selfish and sacrifice others for it)
–> acts within divine purpose are goods –> natural moral law is concerned with decisions and duty (deontological)

agree with Aristotle that REASON is the centre of the universe

Question 10

thomas aquinas background

(book, RC links, what is natural law, his rule)

Answer 10

• wrote the ‘summa theologica’, the grounds for roman catholic ethics and teaching
  –> there is a moral code towards which human beings naturally incline (natural law)

created the SYNDERESIS RULE –> do good and avoid evil (deontological ethics as actions are concerned)

Question 11

name 4 types of law

Answer 11

1. the eternal law: Gods plan built into the nature of everything that exists
2. the divine law: gods revelation to humans in the bible
3. the natural law: the moral law god created in human nature, discoverable by human reason
4. human law: laws humans make which should be based on the natural and divine law . It has authority as its authority ultimately derives from God’s nature

Question 12

describe the nature of NATURAL law

Answer 12

it is deontological and absolute
- universal
- unchanging
- for all time
- relevant for all circumstances
- given by god
- apparent through nature (gods creations)

Question 13

describe the principle of natural moral law

Answer 13

principles depends on establishing the purpose of human life –> fellowship with God (according to aquinas)
–> he claimed this purpose was determined by human reason and humans are usually inclined towards this end (religion)

Question 14

why is aquinas’ assumption on the principle of NML not always correct

Answer 14

1. discounts religions where there ins no god ie Buddhism
2. discounts atheists

aquinas essentially ignores a large part of society

Question 15

what is a belief concerning natural law and heaven

Answer 15

you cannot just follow NML but must also believe in God to achieve heaven

Question 16

describe aquinas’ 5 primary precepts

Answer 16

WORLD
1. preserve innocent life
2. reproduce to continue the species
3. educate children
4. worship god
5. maintain orderly living in society

EVERYTHING must work inline with these principles; god gives human kind reason to be able to achieve these purposes

Question 17

describe secondary precepts

Answer 17

things we should/should not do due to the primary precepts
–> where secondary P goes against primary P - primary takes precedence

Question 18

apparent good and double effect

Answer 18

1. apparent good: a good pursued that i not good inline with NML, it is only good on the surface, but disobeys primary precepts (abortion)
2. double effect: BOTH the intention and the act have to be inline with NML or inherently bad. it has 4 conditions:

a) nature of the act: morally good or indifferent
b)bad effect must not be the means to the end in which the good act is acheived
c) the intention must only be to achieve the good effect, and the bad effect must be an unintended side effect
d) the good effect must be in equivalence in proportion to the bad effect

Question 19

what is virtuous development

Answer 19

fallen nature needs to be corrected by virtues

Question 20

human life, good and God

Answer 20

• natural law allows humans the opportunity to work towards the good in all things
• any action that takes humans closer to god is good and further away is bad
• Aquinas claimed that every person had a specific purpose which would fulfil the skills and talents given to him or her by god

Question 21

what is thomas aquinas’ opinion on STEALING in line with NML

Answer 21

aquinas had an exception in case of desperate need
- disrupts order in society
- ten commandment: ‘do not steal’

Question 22

what is thomas aquinas’ opinion on LYING in line with NML

Answer 22

Aquinas had NO EXCEPTIONS, but you could prudently keep back the truth
- disrupts order in society
- ten commandments: ‘do not bear false witness’
- virtues of courage and justice

Question 23

7 POSITIVES of NML

Answer 23

1. maintains order in society
2. falls inline with many christian values (compatible) –> basis of ethical teaching in the catholic church
3. preserves innocent life
4. has a formal moral authority: given by God
5. has really clear rules, so you know exactly what to do –> absolute nature
6. arguably still relevant in society
7. deontological nature: guides people to complete good actions

Question 24

7 NEGATIVES of NML

Answer 24

1. doesnt cover all of society (non religious, or non monotheists)
2. deontological argument: doesnt consider consequences
3. too simplistic - not realist, more idealist
4. not relative, doesnt consider circumstances
5. primary and secondary precepts conflict
6. impractical eg for abortion –> can be confusing
7. outdated, doesnt fit society as a result

Question 25

what is proportionalism

Answer 25

trying to discover what is the morally right thing to do in any particular set of circumstances

Question 26

describe the concept of proportionalism

Answer 26

belief that stems off of NML - NML should take priority unless there is a sufficiently unusual or important event that happens - the event should cause NML to be changed or broken 'what the proportionalists have done is point out the inconsistency and invalidity of such thinking'

Question 27

what do Hoose and Janssens believe about NML

Answer 27

- modern day NML too inflexible - people should make their own real decisions (cannot learn to do anything without experience, rather than being extensively guided/told what to do) - they believe people should become moral agents, and develop their own morality --> FREE THOUGHT

Question 28

what do Hoose and Janssen believe about NML and the RC church

Answer 28

- issues with CC making decisions for others --> why do people follow: fear, or conformity - belief that doing only God's will is a simplistic way of life - people are therefore not going to heaven due to a personal reflection on morality, but conformity - is this a good way of life??

Question 29

Hoose and proportionalistic thinking

Answer 29

- 'need to take into account all the goods and evils that are involved in that particular case...taking into account unintended but foreseeable side effects of our action' - need to weigh all the good/evil consequences or an action - no two situations are identical: nothing is entirely positive or negative

Question 30

determination of moral and immoral acts

Answer 30

- when deciding whether an action is moral/immoral you must consider the intention of the moral agent - ignoring the moral agent means you can only determine the physical goodness of the act not its morality - proportion of value versus disvalue in the act and intention - therefore NO ACTS ARE INTRINSICALLY EVIL

Question 31

what does Proportionalism say about STEALING

Answer 31

agrees with the same exception as Aquinas (desperate need) as long as the criterion is good - the value of saving a life proportionally greater than disvalue of injustice to the victim of theft

Question 32

what does proportionalism say about LYING

Answer 32

disagrees with Aquinas (believes no exemptions) and allows exceptions - eg. if it is necessary to save a life/protect from harm - should be proportionately greater than disvalue of injustice to the person who was being lied to

Question 33

4 POSITIVES of proportionalism

Answer 33

1. takes the situation into account 2. people are free to develop as moral agents 3. still has rules as a framework 4. takes into account the importance of intention

Question 34

5 NEGATIVES of proportionalism

Answer 34

1. you can justify any action 2. how to judge what is proportionately greater 3. intention: how do we know truly?? 4. less order in society (no clear rules) 5. subjective nature

Question 35

5 STRENGTHS of 'natural and moral law is not an effective way of making moral decisions'

Answer 35

1. absolute, can be impractical 2. too simplistic, not dealing with complex life 3. not applicable to non religious people or non Abrahamic religions 4. contradicting primary precepts 5. deontological - not considering the consequences

Question 36

5 WEAKNESSES of 'natural and moral law is not an effective way of making moral decisions'

Answer 36

1. absolute, set rules to follow so it is easy 2. keeps order in society 3. accessible to all through natural order 4. principle of double effect 5. how to live a moral life

Question 37

Examine why followers of Natural Moral Law may reach different conclusions about the issue of theft. [10 marks]

Answer 37

- Theft is wrong - disrupts order in society - primary precepts so absolute cannot be broken. Ten Commandments - Do not steal - based on Bible links to precept of Worship God. Synderesis rule - do good and avoid evil. Deontological - action is bad - Theft allowed - primary precept of preserving innocent life - stealing food to save from starvation. Primary precept of innocent life is more important than order in society. Aquinas allowed this exception. Proportionalism - good of saving an innocent life outweighs the bad and disvalue of theft. - Principle of double effect - depends on the intention

Question 38

Natural Law is not an effective way of making moral decisions.’ Evaluate this claim. | (argue both sides)

Answer 38

- What do we understand effective to be? - Effective deals with the complexities of modern life. NML does not do this as absolute nature therefore agree with the statement. Too simplistic and as moral decision making becomes more complicated not useful. However, some may argue it is effective as it is a fixed set of rules to follow - RC church. But this doesn’t allow to develop as moral agent - proportionalism Hoose Janssens. - Issues with not being applicable to non-religious people or even not Christians - based on Bible / Fellowship with God / Worship God as primary precept. However, could be secular moral law - access through natural order rather than religious beliefs. By taking God out of the theory undermines Aquinas’ theory. - Deontological nature - synderesis rule - not considering outcomes which could be bad even if doing good actions. Living moral life and making moral decisions is to do good actions which are more likely to achieve good outcomes. Could be seen to be teleological as end goal is Fellowship with God. Contradicting primary precepts make it hard to do good actions examples such as lying to preserve innocent life. - Conclusion - reiterate it is not effective - not dealing with complex moral issues in life - RC church having to consider aspects such as artificial contraception for survival sex workers.