Natural Moral Law
- Created by: Kathdent98
- Created on: 04-02-16 12:38
View mindmap
- Natural Moral Law
- Introduction
- It is a form of deontology
- Put forward by Aristotle but later developed and "Christianised" by Aquinas
- Aristotle (384-322)
- 'Eudiaimonia' is the concept we should flourish and fulfill our purpose.
- Aristotle believed everything was ordered in the world and we had purpose.
- Aristotle identified four causes of an object
- 1. Material cause: what the object is made from.
- 2. Formal cause: how the object is identified.
- 3. Efficient cause: what caused the object to exist.
- 4. Final cause: the object's end or purpose.
- Aristotle ultimately focuses on final cause.
- 'Eudiaimonia' is the concept we should flourish and fulfill our purpose.
- Aquinas (1224-1274)
- Natural Moral Law is based on human reason and revelation from God, showing himself through the Bible. Aquinas believed we have a God-given purpose.
- Aquinas identified four laws
- 1. Eternal law: God's wisdom and ordering of the world.
- 2. Divine law: revealed in scripture, guides us to Heaven.
- 3. Human law: achieved by living by other laws.
- 4. Natural law: fulfillment on Earth.
- Primary Precepts
- Aim for self-preservation and the preservation of the innocent, the continuation of the species through reproduction, educate children, live in society, and worship God.
- As a result of following the primary precepts we also follow the secondary precepts.
- By worshipping God we are not committing murder or aborting the innocent.
- Doctrine of Double Effect
- Both the intention and the act are important.
- Interior is the intention of the act.
- Exterior is the secondary act which comes from the decision.
- Both have to be good for the moral decision to be right
- Catholicism built on Aquinas's "Christianised" contribution to Natural Moral Law.
- They conclude that even with a good action and a bad secondary act, the decision is still moral.
- Example of Palliative Care. Morphine is used to lessen the pain but it has the secondary act (which is unwanted) that it shortens the patient's life by a few hours.
- Both the intention and the act are important.
- Bernard Hoose
- Proportionality
- Separates good and evil.
- This makes it more personal for people by bringing in emotions.
- There must be some proportionate reason to justify your moral decision making.
- Follow natural Moral Law unless there is proportionate justification.
- Proportionality
- Evaluation
- Disadvantage
- Kai Nelson, there is not 'one human nature' across all cultures.
- Indians used to leave their old behind.
- Natural Moral Law still upholds a universal guide to making moral decisions.
- Contradicts teachings from Jesus, opposing legal authority such as the Pharisees.
- Natural Moral Law still has religious connections through Aquinas's Christianised argument and primary precepts form God.
- It is a very rigid method with the primary precepts.
- It becomes more flexible with the development of proportionality
- Kai Nelson, there is not 'one human nature' across all cultures.
- Strengths
- Religious or not, it can be used and gives advice on day-to-day issues and problems.
- It gives humans high-status, it acknowledges that we are not perfect and takes into account our intentions. Focus on eudiamonia and your own moral character.
- It lays down common rules across communities.
- Disadvantage
- Introduction
Comments
No comments have yet been made