Theft

Theft

1. Natural Moral Law

   • Aquinas
     • Only right if proportional reason exists
       • E.G if a starving man steals in order to save his life
         • Especially if the person you are stealing off has had enough themselves -rich
         • Primary precept
           • Preserving life
         • Intention to save life not to cause harm
           • Enables himto help his family too
   • Breaks primary precept of living in an ordered society
     • Leads to disorder
     • Breaks secondary precepts
       • "Do not steal"
         • Biblical commandment 
   • Break cardinal virtue of justice

2. Situation Ethics

   • Only if it maximises love
     • It is the essence of pragmatism
     • Stealing rarely maximises love
   • It puts you as a person above the law
   • It deprives other people with the possibility of using it as they could be in the same situation as you
   • Fletcher

3. Virtue ethics

   • Aristotle
   • It is a base action
   • Breaks the cardinal virtue of justice
   • You dont do it because you have become a virtuous person
   • You do do it but you learn that it is not virtuous