Natural Law - Main Theory

Front 1

What is Natural Law?

Back 1

It is an ethical theory, it is absolutist deontological and legalistic.

Front 2

What is ethics
the study of?

Back 2

Moral choices people make and the way in which they attempt to justify them.

Front 3

What does
Absolutist mean?

Back 3

There are universal moral laws which apply to all situations at all times. You make moral judgements relying on a fixed truth

Front 4

What does
deontological mean?

Back 4

Actions are intrinsically right or wrong regardless of the situation or consequences

Front 5

What does
Legalistic mean?

Back 5

Legalism is linked with the idea that one must obey religious laws in order to gain eternal life in heaven

Front 6

Purpose in
Natural Law theory:

Back 6

Everything has a purpose. To be 'good' is to achieve your purpose. Try to achieve it 'excellently'. E.g a knife's purpose is to cut. A good knife is one that cuts well.

Front 7

What did Aquinas say
is Human Purpose?

Back 7

To reach EUDAIMONIA. This can be translated as 'happiness' but means more - living well, doing good, achieving well etc.

Front 8

What did Aristotle begin with when trying to understand the purpose of life?

Back 8

He tried to discover the essence of an object, and began with the world around him.

Front 9

What are Aristotle's
Four causes?

Back 9

Efficient cause: How is it made?

Material cause: What material is it made of?

Formal cause: What characteristics does it have?

Final cause: What is it for?

Front 10

Efficient Cause

Back 10

Example 1) statue - efficient cause is a sculptor

Example 2) sex - efficient cause of sex is enjoyment: because humans enjoy sex, the species has survived through procreation

Aquinas - developed this and said the efficient cause of humans and the universe is God

Front 11

Final Cause

Back 11

Example 1) statue - final cause is to admire it

Example 2) sex - The final cause of sex is procreation. Therefore, sex is only goof id procreation is possible.

Aquinas - Humans achieve perfection when they have union with God

Front 12

Why did Aquinas not regard his emphasis on reason as a threat to Christianity?

Back 12

The ability to reason is God-given so it can't be wrong to use it

Front 13

What is reasoning?

Back 13

The action of thinking things through in a logical and sensible way

Front 14

What did Aquinas see as the efficient cause of the universe?

Back 14

God

Front 15

What does Aquinas say a human has to do to achieve their final cause (perfection)?

Back 15

To seek union with God/Gain eternal life in heaven with God

Front 16

What is the basic
Natural Moral Law?

Back 16

'To do good and avoid evil'

Front 17

What are the
four levels of laws?

Back 17

Hierarchical moral code passed down to us from God. These are laws which were universal and eternal . There are four types that are interrelated: Eternal, divine, natural, human

Front 18

Eternal Law

Back 18

The mind of God which no human can knows, containing the laws which govern the creation of the universe and control the life cycle of everything in existence

Front 19

Divine Law

Back 19

The law of God revealed to us through the bible and brought by Jesus when he came to earth

Front 20

Natural Law

Back 20

The innate human ability to know what is naturally right and follows the principle of doing good and avoiding evil. By using the power to reason a human is putting themselves in touch with natural law

Front 21

Human Law

Back 21

It is the development of natural law. They are the everyday rules that govern our lives (laws within society - its legal systems)

Front 22

What are
primary precepts?

Back 22

(W-O-R-L-D)

Worship God, Ordered society, Reproduce, Learn and Defend life/the innocent

Aquinas says that these five things are our purpose - if we do all of these we are good, The five primary precepts are set in stone

Front 23

What are
secondary precepts?

Back 23

These are the rules derived from the primary precepts. e.g 'defend life' is a primary precept, leading to the secondary precepts of 'do not kill' 'do not abort' 'do not commit euthanasia'. They have to be interpreted, the secondary precepts are created by each society

Front 24

How are non-Christians
still able to achieve their final cause and reach perfection?

Back 24

God made everyone, therefore, we all have the same destiny (fellowship with God). God made it possible for all humans to achieve this through the power of reasoning, reasoning puts us in touch with natural law

Front 25

What does
virtuous mean?

Back 25

The word 'virtue' comes from the Greek word 'arête' it means excellence in terms of personal qualities of character. We achieve happiness through virtuous behaviour

Front 26

What are the
cardinal Virtues?

Back 26

We can identify them through reason - they are believed to form the basis of a moral life

Front 27

Fortitude

Back 27

Sometimes referred to as courage, it means to possess the ability to confront fear and uncertainty in order to achieve one's goal

Front 28

Justice

Back 28

Helps us yo balance our interests with the rights and interests of others

Front 29

Prudence

Back 29

The ability to judge between actions with regard to appropriate actions at a given time

Front 30

Temperance

Back 30

The ability to practice self control or restraint in order to be considered honourable

Front 31

What are the
Revealed Virtues?

Back 31

Faith, Hope and Charity. They cannot be obtained by human effort, one can only receive them by being infused through divine grace

Front 32

Faith

Back 32

The belief in God, in the truth of God's revelation and obedience to God

Front 33

Hope

Back 33

An expectation and desire for receiving eternal life in heaven with God

Front 34

Charity

Back 34

Selfless, unconditional and voluntary loving kindness for others in response to God's love

Front 35

What is the principle
of the double effect?

Back 35

Refers to situation where there is an intended outcome and another significant but unintended outcome. According to natural law, it is our intentions that are important, not the consequences of our actions. e.g if an operation to save a woman's life resulted in the death of her unborn baby that would be 'ok' as aborting the foetus was not the intention of the action

Front 36

What is an interior act?

Back 36

It is the intention/motive behind the act, which must be good. e.g giving to charity BECAUSE you want to help pthers

Front 37

What is an exterior act?

Back 37

It is the external act that you see, must also be good. e.g giving to charity

Front 38

What is are real and apparent goods?

Back 38

People fall short of God's intentions because they confuse an apparent with a real good. We use reason to distinguish between apparent goods and real goods

Front 39

What is an
apparent good?

Back 39

A vice or sin that takes people firther away from the ideal human nature. It maybe pleasurable but will not lead to fulfilment of potential -e.g taking drugs

Front 40

What is a real good?

Back 40

It is a good characteristic that will help people to become closer to the ideal human nature that God planned for people

Front 41

Strengths of Natural Law

Back 41

It protects the absolute nature of human rights.

The use of reason and instinct in combination.

Gives purpose to the world.

Can be seen as a logical framework even without faith in God.

Gives us rules to follow.

Reduces problems caused by relativism.

Front 42

Weaknesses

of Natural Law

Back 42

Difficult to establish a single 'human nature'.

Doesn't fit as well without faith in God.

Can lead to bad outcomes due to it's de-ontological nature (ignores consequences).

Rigid, meant to fit all cultures at all times.

Secondary precepts can be made in error.