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Strengths and Weaknesses of NML - Coggle Diagram
Strengths and Weaknesses of NML
Strengths
provides clear and fixed rules - no
confusion
objective laws apply to
everyone
common human nature = establish
universal human rights
avoids the relativist fallacy (that truth is relative, not absolute; when by its nature, truth is analytically absolute)
has an empirical basis (in the actual nature of things) and therefore can be verified
does not rely on a consideration of the consequences, therefore avoids calculations and quantities of good / happiness
takes account of reason not functioning properly
proportionalism and the doctrine and double effect give a degree of flexibility
Weaknesses
there is no such thing as essential human nature
the world is full of
different moralities
not understanding of individual circumstances
can permit
evil consequences
counter-intuitive (e.g. not allowing condoms in countries with high prevalence of HIV)
there is
no common human purpose
if God does not exist, NML fails
commits the
naturalistic fallacy
- can't move from an is to an ought
there are
many human purposes
(e.g. the purpose of sex is pleasure as well as procreation)
Aquinas' underlying assumptions (
God's existence
/soul etc) may be challenged, removing the ethical motivation and basis for duty.
Atheists
won't follow it
JL Mackie challenges the existence of objective laws
James Rachels is critical: guilty of the
is-ought gap
- what is the case and what ought to be the case are logically distinct. Morals are
not present in nature
nature isn't always good
- e.g. hurricanes - raises questions about what extent it reveals God's plan
reproduction as a primary precept causes problems - what about
infertile couples
Sartre: "existence precedes essence" - humanity doesn't have a purpose before it's existence