Natural Law
- Created by: Sabeeha Remtulla
- Created on: 17-04-14 12:19
Origins of Natural Law - Stoics
Stoics:
• God everywhere & in everyone
• Human nature part of natural order
• Humans within them divine spark which helps find out how to live acc to will of God (nature)
• Reason needed to understand laws that govern nature & decide to obey or not
• Natural law = law of right reason
Origins of Natural Law - Aristotle
Aristotle:
- People, like every other natural obj have specific nature, purpose & function (telos)
- Supreme good found when purpose fulfilled
- For humans = eudaimonia à happiness, living well, thriving/flourishing with others in society à virtue
- Achieved by living life of reason
- PP: reason is being human
- Not only ability to think & understand but also how to act à ethics = reason put into practice
- Disagreed with Plato – goodness not in another world, in this & real
- Achievable by humans fulfilling purpose (living life of reason)
- Natural justice not always same as that which is just by law
- Laws vary from place to place, NJ is independent & applied to e/one regardless of location
Aquinas' Development - Idea of Purpose&Perfection
- Natural order to our world that should be followed
- Ethics view that stresses that certain norms felt to be natural, thus good
- Order determined by supernatural power
- Developed by St. Thomas Aquinas
- Absolute theory of ethics rooted in human nature + search for happiness + fulfilment
- By using reason to reflect on human nature, we could discover telos/purpose
- à then work out how to achieve
NL = based on nature interpreted by human reason
Absolutist/deontological
Morality - Aquinas
Moral code existing within purpose of nature, created by God; Morality is:
- Accessible through natural order
- Universal
- Unchanging
- For all time
- Relevant for all circumstances
- Given by God
- Perceived by all humans (only believers in God acknowledge has implications beyond grave)
Exists to help humans direct actions to reach eternal destiny with God
Thinks humans have purpose/goal, but not eudaimonia; humans = image of God, so supreme good is dev of this image – perfection
Divinely inspired law covers:
- a) outward/external view of actions
- b) internal motivation for doing them
Reason & Human Purpose
Eternal law of divine reason perceived in 2 ways;
- a) Revelation à word of God (bible)
- b) Use of human reason à moral life is a life lived acc to reason; immoral life=lived at odds with reason; reason determines ultimate purpose & destiny of human life=fellowship with God.
Primary & Secondary precepts:
- Primary= fundamental principles of NL
- Reason à discover precepts which express God’s NL within us
- Humankind’s 1st precept: Self Preservation
- Continuation of species through reproduction
- Education of children
- Live in society (fellowship)
- Worship of God
- Acts that help fulfil main human purposes = good + vice versa
- PP= objectively true for everyone à by using reason, discover right action in every situation à absolutist
Secondary precepts
Secondary Precepts;
rules a/b things we should/shouldn’t do bc uphold/fail to uphold PP
NL à 2 ** under PP
- Self-evident rules needed to uphold PP (do not murder, respect parents)
- Rules coming from more complex process of reasoning
- E/thing must operate in acc with principles, to which humans naturally inclined – but need reason to fulfil
- God gives humans power of reason to accomplish purposes, regardless of belief, + e/thing created to particular design + for particular purpose; fulfilling purpose is ‘good’ towards which e/one aims
Paul recognised not poss for all to work towards good in all things, although NL instituted by God
Humans fall short of what best for them b/c this is a fallen world + humans violated perfect r/ship w/ God + NO instituted @ creation (Prophet Adam + GoE à damaged, bad choices = fall short of God’s expectations for us.
Virtues & Vices
Cardinal virtues:
- Prudence – careful
- Temperance - control
- Fortitude- courage
- Justice – fairness
3 theological virtues:
- faith
- hope
- charity
7 vices:
- pride
- avarice - greed
- lust
- envy
Seek virtues, eliminate vices à practice … virtues = habitual
Real&Apparent + Interior&Exterior
Real & Apparent Goods:
human nature=good, NL within e/one
Oritented towards achievement of perfection + never knowingly pursue evil
Not in pursuit of perfection t/f pursuit of apparent good à smth that doesn’t fit human ideal.
Falling short of God’s intention, distinguish btwn real/apparent = reason, not easy, temptation.
Interior & Exterior Acts:
Intention + Act = Important
Act in good way for wrong reason = exterior J , interior L
Acts intrinsically good/bad b/c when humans act in accordance with ultimate purpose= God glorified.
Not relativistic
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