Religious Studies Paper 1 Full overview

Ethics-

Topic 1- Moral Theories

NML- Is a deontological and legalistic moral theory. It holds a purposive understanding of nature in which everything has a goal. The human goal is Eudaimonia, or flourishing. It has 5 Primary precepts, Preservation of Human life, reproduction, ordered society, worship God and learning. And believes through practical wisdom or Phronesis, we arrive at the secondary precepts, things like abortion is wrong or stealing isn’t right. It believes we can back these up by Divine law, PP- preserve life, SP, murder is wrong, DL, 6th commandment. It also has the Doctrine of Double effect which establishes the difference between real and apparent goods and states that you should commit a bad act for a good outcome, showing how the motivation matters. 

·       Proportionalism is based on natural moral law and states the acts only become morally good or bad when you consider the proportion of value to this value. It's founded on universal principles that can be rationally arrived at but with built in compassion that allows for flexibility in extreme situations. It holds the set tomorrow rules that can never be right to go against unless there's a proportionate reason they could justify it

Lying- is wrong, it goes against the PP, ordered society as it leads to mistrust in society it also goes against the precept of learning as we assume when some speaks we learn the truth. Through phronesis NML has established the Secondary precept do not lie, which can also be backed up by divine law. It does however believe we can prudently withhold the truth, so in the case of a mad axe man asking where our friend is we can say I saw them as lunch time, instead of 'in the back'

Theft- is wrong because it goes against the PP, ordered society as it leads to mistrust in society, he viewed it as base act, so in no cases could it be allowed which is when we look at the Doctrine of Double mean which states we cannot do a bad act to bring about a good consequence which would mean stealing bread to help a starving family wouldn’t be allowed. Aquinas might however make exceptions to this he was context bound so was looking at theft out of greed, it is possible he might make exceptions for PP, preserve human life, however there are still problems with this, he would also look at the motive which is save a life not steal, in which case it would be allowed

strengths- it is legalistic which can be a comfort when facing challenging moral decisions and ensures emotion does not influence us, there is comfort knowing everyone is experiencing the same as we are, its laws are clearly laid out, it acknowledges and contrasts scenarios in which we might be wrong; people need anchoring by laws that on change

weakness- it is too legalistic and does not allow for love in an…