Natural Law

Natural Law

1. Keywords

   • DEONTOLOGICAL- A judgement that is based on the action/duty. Also based on universal rule
   • OBJECTIVE- Based on rules that are detached and impartial
   • ABSOLUTE- A rule that is true in all circumstances

2. Natural Law was created by Thomas Aquinas, he believed God created the world with a purpose in mind.

   • If human beings watch the natural world, read divine scripture and watch natural human behaviour then we can determine God's purpose
   • God gave humans the gift of reason in order to determine his purpose
   • A human beings final TELOS (purpose) is unity with God.
     • The purpose of sexual activity is to reproduction, therefore abortion and contraception are wrong because they frustrate the final purpose of sexual activity

3. HIERACHY OF LAW- Natural law is part of a hierachy of laws that stretch down to us from God

   • ETERNAL LAW- This is in the mind of God and governs the law that created the universe. Human Beings can only glimpse at Eternal Law through the Quantum Law
     • DIVINE LAW- This is in the word of God and was brought to us by Jesus, it is transmitted by the church through sermans and the Bible
       • NATURAL LAW- Human-beings naturally desire what is good and avoid evil. the end purpose is unity with God (Telos)
         • HUMAN LAW- These are the Laws that human-beings make for themselves. eg. do not murder

4. REAL GOOD- A real good occurs when you follow your reason and arrive at the correct moral decision.

   • EXAMPLE- Deciding to read and follow the rules of scriptre

5. APPARENT GOOD- This occurs when you follow your reasopn and arrive at the correct moral decision

   • EXAMPLE- Prolifers in the USA, bomb abortion clinics in order to save the life of the embryos. However the moral reasoning is faulty as it leads them to kill which goes against religious law

6. PRIMARY PRECEPTS- A set of absolute rules that Aquinas created in order to help human- beings survive and flourish in society

   • Protecting innocent life
     • Worshipping God
       • Educating the young
         • Reproduction
           • Living in society
   • SECONDARY PRECEPTS- these can be created from the Primary Precepts in order to make Natural Law more flexible so it can apply to different times and cultures
     • EXAMPLE-
       • ABORTION- This would be against the primary precept reproduction and protecting innocent life. you would apply the secondary precept 'abortion is wrong as some people feel as though abortion is murder
     • EXAMPLE-
       • IVF- secondary precept 'IVF is wrong'. it goes against protection of innocent life and reproduction
     • EXAMPLE-
       • CONTRACPETIVE PILL- 'the contraceptive pill is wrong'. it goes against reproduction