Natural Moral Law

Natural moral law theory

belief that there is an objective ideal way to be human-once reached completely happy

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Cicero

‘One eternal and unchangeable law will be valid for all nations and all times’

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How does the universe work?

certain patterns and rules thus exists NML-absolute and accessible to all and available through the natural order and reason

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Where does it derive from

Bible-Paul moral law of God is evident from the nature of man and the world

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Adopted by

ethicists who believe that there is a ‘telos’ or purpose to every from of life, a purpose that the moral agent will strive towards

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Based on...

Aristotle's idea that everything has a purpose, revealed in its design-fulfilment of its design thus leads to supreme good

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what's the starting point for morality?

human reason (given by God)- NML dominates Catholic moral thinking

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Purpose in life according to Aristotle

to seek happiness through general all-round wellbeing 'eudaimonia'

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Stoics (e.g.)

Cicero; universe had a basic design and purpose (a natural law) which human morality should work in harmony with

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Aquinas

applies Aristotle’s ideas of purpose and perfection to Christianity

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Aquinas quote

‘Therefore it is necessary to admit a first efficient cause, to which everyone gives the name of God’

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Aquinas and final cause

an object achieves its Final Cause or purpose when it does what God intended it to do-means seeking union with God;perfection &only attainable in afterlife

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SYNDERESIS RULE

Aquinas; there is a divinely inspired basic moral law which underpins all laws: good is to be done and pursued and evil to be avoided

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Aquinas and purpose

reason that tells us the purpose for which we are made, not purely faith

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Final end/purpose

fellowship with God

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Sin according to Aquinas

simply faulty reason taking us away from what God intended

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Virtue

intrinsically good because it leads to God e.g. helping someone out of charity is a good interior act.

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instrumental good

Helping someone to look good is using them as a means to an end

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Five Primary Precepts

Preserve life; reproduce; educate the young; live in ordered society; worship God

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Secondary Precepts

wrong because contradict primary precepts; e.g. theft, fornicating, killing the innocent

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Bibe quote to reinforce secondary precepts

(“I knew you even before you were formed in the womb.” Jeremiah

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Four kinds of law -Aquinas

Eternal Law, divine law, natural law, human law

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Eternal Law:

God’s will and wisdom, and rational ordering of the universe

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This is revealed in divine law

given in scripture and through the church, and guides human beings to happiness in heaven

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made known in natural law,

source of fulfilment on earth

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From it, human law

derived

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Stoics' development of NML

existence of a rational and purposeful order to the universe. The means by which a rational being lived in accordance with this cosmic order was considered natural law.

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Natural law and sexual ethics

premarital sex- Aquinas; apparent good, real goods come from acting according to our purpose- primary purpose of sex is reproduction so only good between marriage

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Natural Law and medical ethics

primary precepts is to 'protect and preserve the innocent', secondary precept and an absolute moral rule that you should never kill an innocent person, thus euthanasia is wrong

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Doctrine of double effect

if doing something morally good has a morally bad side-effect it's ethically okay to do it providing the bad side-effect wasn't intended

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Doctrine of double effect and euthanasia

It is wrong to kill, but is it wrong to give someone pain relief if a secondary effect is that they die? Once you accept that death is merely a by-product of another action, -different question.

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NML and moden life

Highly outdated, Subjective, Contemporary cultures

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Highly outdated

based on what moral compass set in biblical times. Our sense of morality has dramatically changed

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Subjective

founded by one man- patriarchal in nature/culture-bound? Rise is gender equality has meant that women have more voice in society/autonomy- abortion seen as wrong from NLE, though women have more control over their bodies nowadays

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Contemporary cultures

becoming more secularised? Less necessity on religious texts to seek a sense of morality

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Is NML still valid?

Relies on religious faith/ in a God in order to work- as contemporary cultures become more secularised there’s less onus on God’s guidance

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Is NML still valid? Stoics/Cicero

universe has a basic design & purpose (a natural law) - human morality should work in harmony with = outdated-unscientific today- illogical to propose the universe interacts with human morality

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Proportionalism

accepts that certain acts are wrong/evil acts in themselves; though says it might be the right thing to do if there's proportionate reason to perform such acts

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Proportionalism & scholars

Hoose and McCormick-allows for ‘ontic goods’ – qualities such as dignity, integrity and justice – which are in themselves non-moral but desirable to take into account when making a moral decision

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Hoose and McCormick

Since we live in a fallen world the best a human can reach for is moral compromise-individual circumstances-taken into account

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Proportionalism rejects

authoritarian moral codes like those laid down by RC

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Get Revising

Natural Moral Law

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