Natural Moral Law

Four levels (types) of law
1. Eternal law: god creates everything and his will and wisdom is revealed to us through:
  1. God's mind - we cannot know this
2. Divine law: the sacred text and the teachings of the church, which are made known in:
  1. Scriptures- these are incomplete
3. Natural law: the innate human ability to know what is naturally right. From which:
  1. Uses human reason to fill the gaps in our knowledge
    1. Reason is thinking and choosing
4. Human law: develops, e.g. the law found within society - its legal systems
  1. We cn then make human laws to govern society
5. They work together to help with decision making
6. It helps because it gives clear answers which ensures that the decision is in line with scripture
Absolutist, deontological theory
1. Absolutist: rules that CANNOT be broken
  1. This helps because it gives clear guidelines which are easy to follow
    1. Deontological: duty based - there is an obligation to follow the rules
      1. It is universal because it applies to all people at all times
Teleological world view
1. Telos means end/purpose
  1. The end goal is to get to heaven which rebuilds our broken relationship with God
    1. This helps because it gives an added incentive/purpose when making decisions
      1. It focuses you on why you should be good, even when it makes it you unhappy
Syneresis rule
1. Humans naturally want to do good and avoid evil
  1. In built
  2. BUT this is not always easy to do
Primary and secondary precepts
1. These are specific rules which ensure that we live according to our purpose
2. 5 purposes of human life
3. 1. To worship God
  1. Go to church
  2. Read the bible
4. 2. To live in an ordered society
  1. Do not lie
  2. Treat people equally
5. 3. To reproduce
  1. No abortion
  2. No ARTIFICIAL contraception
6. 4. To learn
  1. Go to school
  2. Go to church
7. 5. To defend the innocent
  1. No euthanasia
  2. No abortion
8. WORLD
Real and apparent goods
1. In the situation that you're in, there may appear to be a course of action which 'seems' right because it will have a 'right making feature'
  1. BUT if that course of action takes you away from your purpose then it is not a 'real good'
    1. This helps in decision making because what you are proposing to do should be in line with your purpose
Interior and exterior acts
1. Interior act - motivation/intetnion
2. Exterior act - the act itself
3. They both have to be good for the action to be good
4. Ensuring both the act and intention are good is important according to Aquinas
  1. DOCTRINE OF DOUBLE EFFECT
    1. This states that, even if there is a secondary negative outcome, if the intention and act are good then you can carry on with it. For example a pregnant woman who has chemo and looses the baby
Virtues
1. Four cardinal
  1. Prudence
    1. Balancing our interests with others to make a good decision
  2. Temperance
    1. To practice self control and show moderation
  3. Justice
    1. Balance interests with rights and interests of others
  4. Fortitude (courage)
    1. Possess the ability to confront fear and uncertainty in order to achieve ones goal
2. Theological
  1. Faith
    1. Belief in God
  2. Hope
    1. An expectation of receiving eternal life with God
  3. Charity
    1. Selfless, unconditional and voluntary loving
3. Quality of character
Religion
1. Some christians would use NML because:
  1. 1. It includes references to scripture (divine law)
  2. 2. The RC church has adopted NML
  3. 3. They approve of the deontological, absolutist approach
2. Some christians would not use NML because:
  1. 1. They think it is not flexible and lacks compassion
  2. 2. Some liberal protestants prefer a situational ethics approach
  3. 3. Some this that Jesus rejected rules in the New Testament
The role of Reason
1. Reason is thinking and choosing
  1. People have to use their reason to make a moral decision
    1. In NML, reason is used in virtually every aspect of the theory
      1. For example, understanding the teleogoical world view requires reason

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Natural Moral Law

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	Created by Isaac McDermott about 8 years ago