NATURAL MORAL LAW P1

NML

  • An ethical theory that holds the view that there are rights + moral values that can be understood from human nature, which can be deduced by human reason

Aristotle

  • Built NML as an approach to morality which gives justification
  • He argues that humans distinctive feature is their ability to reason
  • Humans + other creates = separate - e.g. animals can't reason
  • TELOS - human can use their reason in order to reach their TELOS (purpose) of human life

Cicero

  • Provided the first written evidence of the Natural Law theory
  • 'True Law is right reason in agreement with nature; it is of universal application'

Aquinas

  • Most distinctive version of NML is proposed by Aquinas
  • During the 13th century Aquinas took up Aristotle's idea about the telos of human life being happiness/complete well being and then combined these ideas to the Christian view of this goal being in union with God in the next life - aka Beatific Vision
  • Aquinas thought all human beings are inclined to do good because all species want to survive

Aristotle on Telos

Aquinas on Telos

Primary precepts

Secondary precepts

  • Derive from the primary precepts
  • They illustrate the practical application of the primary precepts
  • E.g. the primary precept 'reproduction' - this can be applied by having sex without artificial contraception

Preserve Life - Divine Law - 'Do not kill'
Reproduce - 'be fruitful and multiply' - Genesis
Ordered Society
Worship God
Learn/educate the young - 'Bring up your children in the training and instruction of the Lord' - St Paul (Ephesians)

  • Humans aim for some goal/purpose
  • Telos of something must be related to the final end of humanity, which is eudaimonia
  • For Aquinas true happiness = achieving heaven
  • Aquinas then parts with Aristotle here and for Aquinas, true telos of human beings is not realising their potential in the world as Aristotle suggested, instead true telos of human beings is heaven being the destiny for all humans beings' souls
  • Aquinas - you would only go to heaven if you followed God's Natural Law
  • People like any other natural object have a specific nature - purpose + function
  • On Physics and On Metaphysics - his work considered that not only does everything have a purpose, e.g. purpose of a knife = to cut, but that its supreme good is found when i fulfils that purpose e.g. the knife cuts sharply
  • Our purpose (telos) is realising our potential in this world, e.g. thriving + flourishing with others in society which leads to the supreme good eudaimonia (happiness)

Synderesis Rule - Aquinas

'Do good, Avoid evil'

  • These are the key rules to promote human flourishing

Aquinas 4 Tiers of Law

Eternal Law:

  • Law as known in the mind of God - his knowledge of right/wrong
  • Beyond human comprehension + understanding
  • We do however to have the ability to reason so we may be able to imperfectly work out some of its application in human life
    Divine Law:
  • Law revealed by God through the commands + teachings through revelation - e.g. in scripture
  • Sermon on the Mount/ 10 Commandments
  • These are reasonable laws revealed by God
  • Can only be understood by those that believe in God
    Natural Law:
  • Moral thinking that we are all able to do
  • 'Right reason in accordance with nature'
  • This includes a rational reflection on our human nature + considering how to 'do good and avoid evil'
  • Don't need to be religious
    Human Law:
  • Practices of a society
  • Devised by governments/societies
  • Based on natural law

Reason + Real goods vs Apparent goods

  • Reason is used in order to establish how we should live our lives. We use our reason to fulfil the requirements of the primary precepts and therefore to achieve our aim of doing good and avoiding evil
  • At times humans use their reason incorrectly because they are following apparent goods rather than real goods. An example of an apparent good is taking drugs - it seems like we are doing a good thing but in reality we are not
  • Aquinas also noted that God knows the secrets of our hearts and so our actions must be interior rather than exterior - the motive behind an action counts. For example we should help an elderly person cross the road because it is the correct thing to do not because we want to impress a boy/girl who's watching nearby