Whether Religious & Natural law ethics is outdated Flashcards
What is a strength of Natural Law ethics regarding its accessibility?
strength
Natural Law ethics is available to everyone because all humans are born with the ability to know and apply the primary precepts.
How does the Bible support the idea of following Natural Law for those who do not belong to Abrahamic religions?
strength
The Bible states in Romans 2:14-15 that Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature what the law requires, indicating that God’s law is written in their hearts, allowing them to follow the natural law even without access to the divine law (Bible).
What is a weakness of Natural Law ethics regarding its relevance in modern society?
Weakness
Natural Law ethics is criticized as outdated because its principles were developed in medieval society, which had different socio-economic conditions than modern society.
How do secularists and thinkers like J. S. Mill and Freud criticize biblical morality and Natural Law ethics?
Weakness
Secularists argue that biblical morality and Natural Law ethics reflect the primitive and barbarous mindset of ancient human societies, rather than divine guidance. J. S. Mill referred to the Old Testament as “barbarous” and intended only for a barbarous people, while Freud argued that religious morality reflected the “ignorant childhood days of the human race.”
What societal changes are cited as reasons for the outdatedness of Natural Law ethics?
Weakness
Socio-economic conditions have changed since the medieval era, rendering some of the primary precepts of Natural Law ethics no longer useful. For example, restrictions on sexual behavior, prohibitions on killing, and emphasis on having lots of children were once necessary for societal stability but are no longer as relevant in modern society.
What argument is often made by conservative Catholics defending Aquinas’ natural law ethics?
Evaluation defending Aquinas:
Conservative Catholics argue that natural law is not outdated because it serves an important function in society, contributing to societal flourishing. They believe that secular liberal western culture, which has abandoned traditional moral principles like the primary precepts, is ethically retrograde.
According to Pope Benedict XVI, what are the consequences of excluding God, religion, and virtue from public life?
Evaluation defending Aquinas:
Pope Benedict XVI argues that excluding God, religion, and virtue from public life leads to a truncated vision of man and society, as well as a reductive vision of the person and his destiny. This reference is from the encyclical “Caritas in Veritate.”
How does Pope Benedict XVI view atheism and its impact on human values and development?
Evaluation defending Aquinas:
Pope Benedict XVI believes that the ideological rejection of God and atheism of indifference pose significant obstacles to development today. He argues that a humanism which excludes God is an inhuman humanism, and only a humanism open to the Absolute can guide us in promoting forms of social and civic life without risking moral decline.
What critique is offered regarding the relevance of Natural Law ethics in modern society?
Evaluation critiquing Aquinas:
Natural Law ethics is considered outdated because it was developed as a reaction to Aquinas’ socio-economic context, which has since changed, rendering Natural Law ethics no longer relevant.
How does the critique challenge Aquinas’ claim regarding the origin of the primary precepts?
Evaluation critiquing Aquinas:
The critique suggests that Aquinas may have simply intuited what was good for people in his socio-economic condition, rather than discovering the primary precepts through human reason as designed by God. The idea that the principles came from God may have been a product of his imagination.
What is identified as a strength and weakness of religion as a form of social organization in the critique?
Evaluation critiquing Aquinas:
The critique identifies the strength of religion as providing a strong motivation for following ethical precepts by attributing them to God. However, it also points out that this attribution to an eternal being makes these precepts inflexible and difficult to progress, ultimately rendering them increasingly outdated.
