4. Sexual ethics and natural law
- Created by: Alasdair
- Created on: 24-05-17 13:51
View mindmap
- Natural Law
- Aristotle
- Focus on distinct nature and purpose
- Humans are animals, potential is to grow, reproduce, etc.
- Humans also have potential to understand. This is significant and separates us from animal instincts
- e.g. Unification of couple
- Only human beings can understand this
- Contrasts Bentham
- Mill would disagree
- Higher and lower pleasures
- Only human beings can understand this
- e.g. Unification of couple
- All this is present in fertilised eggs, but may not reach its full potential
- Sex is instinct and animals are driven to reproduce.
- Need to pass on genes to future generation - a throw back to evolution
- However, sex can be misused (****, *******, pleasure, unhealthy consequences, teenage pregnancy, self-esteem) in a way that can prevent us reaching our full potential
- Sex is significant to bring couples together and unite couples enabling individuals to reach their potential through each other
- Protestant view
- Natural Law distinguishes between sex which is good and sex which diminishes humans
- Diminishes to animal instincts
- Harm self-esteem/health
- Damaging to humans
- That potential is not only to have children (remember functions/purposes of mouth/ear etc)
- Criticism: shouln;t be limited as sex organs have more than one function
- Denominational Differences
- Aquinas influenced Catholic Teachings
- 5 Precepts and church emphasise procreation as intention and potential purpose of humanity
- Any other form of sex is condemned as an "intrinsic evil"
- Any sexual act that does not allow for procreation is an intrinsic evil also
- AO2
- All are natural in same way is not true
- Nature is varied
- Natural to be gay
- Anglican - accept sex has other function to unite couple, procreation is not only focus
- Natural Law: Sex and procreation are part of the potentiality of humans but not only part or most important part
- Modern Natural Law
- "Treat body as mere pleasure is to disintegrate a person' - John Finnis
- 'Coitus is a unifying action in which the male and female literally become one organism'
- One purpose
- Not everyone has children
- 1) Warns against actions which diminish human beings and lead away from potential
- 2) Linked to Virtue Ethics - enabling humans to reach full and true potential. In right context, commitment and intimacy, gift of one person to another sex and 'Love making' is good.
- Moore
- Maintains that what we regard as human nature is a product of the society and culture in which we live.
- It is we who pick out the features, we who maintain what we consider to be natural.
- Reliable
- Interpretations of laws of nature
- Reason law laid down by God
- Depends if you believe in God
- Children in stable loving relationships as a result
- Stable society if followed
- Fewer partners therefore fewer STIs
- If followed, fewer unwanted pregnancies, lowers teenage pregnancy rate
- Unreliable
- Could follow wrong reason
- Real + apparent goods (marry the wrong person?)
- Outdated - hasn't changed with society
- Society's understanding of sex - human nature
- People fall out of love - not always loving relationships
- Mary Midgley - rejects single human nature as we are so closely linked to animals
- Aristotle
Comments
No comments have yet been made