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NATURAL LAW, Aristotle And The Beginnings Of Natural Law (The primary…
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Strengths And Weaknesses
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Strengths:
can be seen as an absolutist theory, NL offers clarity and firm moral principles.
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it is not as rigid as it may appear, the secondary precepts are intended to be reasoned within the context of a society therefore there is some flexibility based on time and place
NL values life and values rights, the version put forward by Hugo Grotius develops the idea that 'certain rights' for individuals are evident when looking at nature, unlike consequentialist theories, natural law holds that life is intrinsically valuable regardless of its usefulness
Weaknesses:
NL may be wrong to assume that there is a universal telos, for human beings may want to prioritise their career at the expense of reproduction, they may even live a life of solitary rather than in a 'ordered society'.
'Telos is natural' what is natural is subjective, homosexuality may be natural to a gay person but not a straight person.
NL commits the naturalistic fallacy, it is guilty of observing what commonly happens in nature and then arguing that this is what must happen. eg. we have teeth for eating meat so it is morally wrong to eat veg
there may not be a telos or purpose at all Existentialist thinker Jean Paul Sartre argues that there is no ultimate purpose to human life. Unlike objects who have a maker who plans their purpose before they are made, we exist first and then we are free to choose whatever purposes we see fit, if at all. For Sartre, if atheism is true then there can be no ultimate purpose.
the idea of telos is linked to the idea of a creator God, again more assumptions
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Aquinas And Natural Law
4 Tiers Of Law:
1.Eternal Law:
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known as the mind of God, his knowledge of what is right and wrong
But god has given us the ability to reason, so we might imperfectly work out some of its application to our life
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3.Natural Law:
Moral thinking that we are all able to do whether or not we have had the divine revelation of scriptures.
All humans have the capacity to consider and work out moral rules necessary for achieving our purpose
Involves a rational reflection on our human nature and considering how we might 'do good and do evil'
4.Human Law:
Customs and practices of a society, these are divised by the gov.
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Applying Natural Law:
Sexual ethics:
aquinas argues that there are real and apparent goods, when someone does something morally wrong it is because they are pursuing an apparent good rather than a real good.
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Man has an affair, doesn't see that it is wrong
Antigone:
the heroine of the play ignored the king who forebodes her from burying her brother, she argues that too not bury him is it defies NL.
this shows two other key features of NL, it is a rational system of decision making.
Aquinas believes, similar to Aristotle that there are intellectual virtues such as prudence ( the ability to make sound, practical moral situations )
his moral reason is to develop and improve, education is the answer.
it appeals to human nature claiming that there are certain things that are natural to humans regardless of time, place or culture.
Euthanasia:
a doctor gives patient painkillers and accidentally kills the patient, but had good intentions
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to aquinas it matters what effect is intended, your intention is what matters
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Abortion:
foetus will be severely handicapped, should she abort it? she is catholic therefore believes in the sanctity of life.
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