Natural Law Strengths and Weaknesses

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A Levels Ethics AS (Natural Law) Mind Map on Natural Law Strengths and Weaknesses, created by katie.browell on 17/04/2014.
katie.browell
Mind Map by katie.browell, updated more than 1 year ago
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Created by katie.browell almost 10 years ago
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Resource summary

Natural Law Strengths and Weaknesses
  1. Strengths
    1. Allows a straightforward, absolute, clear cut approach to morality and establishes rules, however it is relativist within the secondary precepts so it is also flexiable and therefore applicable in uquinue siutations
      1. Preserving human life, reproduction, education and living in an ordered society are already common in the majority of all cultures, therefore Natural Law is easily applied to all cultures and socieites
        1. It does not dictate a way of living, but through the Secondary Precepts allows morals to be decided by societies or induviudals based on reason
          1. Concentrates on human flourishing and potential for good, rather than focuses on the wrongness of certain acts - so it is easier to apply and becomes more flexiable
            1. Reguardless of specific faith, Aquinas believed all were created 'imago dei' so we can all achieve our Final Cause through reason
              1. 'Worship God' does not say the Christian God
              2. Natural Law reflects many of the ascpects within the UN Declaration of Human Rights
              3. Weaknesses
                1. Natural Law finds it difficult to relate complex decision making to basic principles in practice
                  1. eg should more money be spent on schooling or hospitals
                  2. According to G.E.Moore Natural Law commits the Naturalist Fallacy
                    1. Moore argues that goodness is unanalysable and unnatural, and so cannot be defined by any reference to nature.
                      1. Aquinas argues that humans are social animals and it is part of our nature to want to live peacefully and in the company of others and to care for them. He continues to argue that this 'property' of caring for others is part of our human nature, so it must be good
                        1. Moore criticises this by saying that you cannot derive an ought (value) from an is (fact) - so it may be a fact that humans have the natural inclination to care for others, but that does not mean I ought to care for them.
                    2. Darwin shows that nature has particular charactertisics due to natural selection - that there is no divine command, or natural laws governing the world. The laws of nature are impersonal and blind with no intension.
                      1. Karl Barth thought that Natural Law relies too must on reason, as human nature is too corrupt to be trusted, and it does not place enough focous upon God and the Bible
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