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ETHICS: THEME 2 - FINNIS' NATURAL LAW, *common good goes w/ the nine…
ETHICS: THEME 2 - FINNIS' NATURAL LAW
FINNIS' NATURAL LAW
SEVEN BASIC HUMAN GOODS
LIFE
incl everything allowing humans to freely make decisions for about their existence
incl physical + mental health, freedom from pain/ injury
incl + begins w/ reproduction
KNOWLEDGE
two types: speculative + instrumental
speculative: theoretical intellectual knowledge sought to avoid ignorance/ error
instrumental: knowledge sought to achieve further objective, e.g. money, power
seeking knowledge is intrinsically good + desirable, and can be sought through science, philosophy etc.
humans can gain knowledge in anyway they decide to interest themselves,; there can be diversity in how ppl participate in this good
PLAY
done for enjoyment; can be ad hoc (?), planned, social, solitary, intellectual, physical
has its own value; can bring meaning + purpose beyond work/ existence
can be done in almost any activity/ context
AESTHETIC EXPERIENCE
can be aspect of play, but also separate
doesn't require anything specific; can be external/ internal experience
can incl appreciation of beauty in nature, appreciation in one's own creative work/ others' creative work
FRIENDSHIP
aka sociability; ability to live alongside others peacefully or form a deeper relationship with another person
good of friendship involves acting for the sake of others and respecting their purpose + well-being, instead of using them for selfish benefit
PRACTICAL REASONABLENESS
to use intelligence to shape character, lifestyle, actions
aims to perform actions that can impact the world
finnis sees this as authentic + reasonable self-determination
to participate one should work out how to have an impact by deciding one's choice of commitments/ projects
this gives the ability to turn basic goods into principles of action, and is governed by nine requirements
RELIGION
finnis sees this as part of the process of grasping bigger concepts like origins of the universe, nature of human freedom, source of reason
finnis argues even atheists must grasp these to some extent
NINE REQUIREMENTS
COHERENT LIFE PLAN
unreasonable to live life on whims + desires, but also to focus on one goal so much that life -> blind obedience or is abandoned
there is no fixed way for a good life, and basic goods != goals, but a way to see life as a coherent whole, where projects = whole life plan in accordance w/ the goods
NO ARBITRARY PREFERENCES AMONG VALUES
there is no hierarchy of the goods; are all objectively + equally good, so none should be ignored/ exaggerated
finnis says those who expect their high expectations for academia to be followed is unreasonable + denies good of knowledge
in some situations we only need to focus on the good relevant to our situation
life plans should allow reasonable participation in goods, but sometimes one may be more relevant than the other
NO ARBITRARY PREFERENCES AMONG PERSONS
golden rule: treat others like you want to be treated; focusing on one's wellbeing + others is reasonable, but to choose one over the other is not
goods apply equally to everyone
DETACHMENT & COMMITMENT
finnis sees these as essential for a whole life plan + achieving balance
one project shouldn't be so focused on that it's pursued without consideration of participating in other goods
obsession -> fanaticism, so we should remain detached from our projects, either reformulating or starting a new project if the last is finished/ doesn't work out
commitment is still important; it shouldn't be abandoned just because we want to achieve any goal in life
detachment + commitment enable balance between fanaticism + apathy, indifference + disinterest, so we can participate in the goods effectively
EFFICIENCY WITHIN REASON
this is about thinking practically + considering future consequences, but also considering this in the means of what's reasonable
unreasonableness rejects any basic goods, so in a moral situation we should choose an option which allows for participation in the goods to our best ability
we should essentially do a cost-benefit analysis to practically achieve reasonable objectives
only weighing up consequences, however, is irrational to finnis as we can't prioritise one good/ person over another, calling this arbitrary
good can be measured and humans can flourish in many ways, so actions should be chosen in how well they allow us to participate in basic goods, not just consequences
RESPECT FOR VALUES IN EVERY ACT
we shouldn't choose actions that harm/ divert participation in basic goods
moral acts should promote/ protect basic goods
some actions have +ve consequences but aren't always guaranteed, but -ve consequences are more certain + can always dmg a good
this requirement ensures no human right is overlooked for the sake of a desired outcome
every basic value should be respected in every moral act; harm to it should always be avoided
REQUIREMENTS OF COMMON GOOD
most concrete moral responsibilities + duties are based on this requirement
this requirement is about favouring + fostering good for everyone; it isn't the same as the greatest good for the greatest number like utilitarianism
this requirement encourages cooperation, collaboration + coordination within communities
FOLLOWING ONE'S CONSCIENCE
we shouldn't do something we think shouldn't be done
finnis agrees with aquinas in that practical judgements required by reason are judgements of conscience
conscience produces correct judgements, and is part of being human
conscience can sometimes be misleading, if we had unstable upbringing/ character
if we strive to be reasonable + understand how to participate in basic goods our conscience can be correct
COMMON GOOD
involves coordination, collaboration, cooperation w/ others in accordance with the nine requirement
everyone is entitled to participate in all basic goods at any time + in any way; everyone's project are equally important
there needs to be at least some organisation so everyone is free to pursue their own projects w/o any interference
being in a community means sharing life, action + interest
community = unifying relationship that enables human flourishing, agreeing on roles + behaviour
a community has to work together if they have a common goal, or at least agree to not interfere w/ each other's projects
to do this each person must understand all basic goods apply equally to everyone, not just individually
*common good goes w/ the nine requirements