Natural Moral Law

• natural moral law


  • idea there is a natural order to our world that must be followed
  • originated with Aristotle later developed by Thomas Aquinas
  • belief that morality should be based in human nature, search for happiness
  • Aquinas believed it could be used to reflect on our human nature, work out a telos, understand God's plan
• Influence of Aristotle (origins)


  • Greek philospher (empiricist)
  • Aquinas also believed in the revelation of theBible(inerrant,perfect)
  • Aq believed Bible wasn't comprehensive, earliest theory links back to the Stoics
  • 4 causes: Material, Formal, Efficient, Final E.g table: wood, rectangle, builder, working
  • Aristotle believed final cause of Humans was Eudaimonia, achieved by reason
  • human flourishing, wellbeing, good life
• Aspects of Aquinas' natural law


  • 4 levels --> Eternal law: God's principles
  • Divine law: rules as guidance
  • Natural law: God's moral law built into humans
  • Human law: dervived from reason
  • Primary precepts: established by reason, teleological aspect applying to everyone
  • Protect the innocent, order society, worship God, educate the young, reproduce
• Aspects of Aquinas' natural law 2:


  • Secondary precepts: more relative, vary by culture, never contradict the primary precepts
  • produced by reason to guide towards ultimate good (wisdom, creativity)
  • Superior, subordinate aims: Sex-> reproduce, pleasure
  • Interior(intention) exterior (action)
  • E.g: giving to charity for publicity
• Strengths of Natural Moral Law


  • fairly clear cut approach to morality by establishing common rules( not to kill)
  • Enforcement of justice system, justification for common human laws
  • supports international laws by judging morality of cultures
  • concerned with human emotions, positive view on humans, flourishing sosciety is not restricted ( development of character)
  • More flecible, secondary alters on circumstances, cultures -> stealing in order to provide for family
• weaknesses of natural moral law


  • Neilsen argued Aq was wrong to argue there was a single human nature common to all societies, there's diversity in what is considered to be moral in various cultures
  • G.E Moore critiqued Aquinas for committed naturalistic fallacy, just because we see people do things doesn't mean it's right or moral
  • Freud argued people are naturally selfish but moralised by upbringing
  • this is observable in nature (war, exploitation, trafficking)
• what is natural moral law?


  • idea that there is a natural order to our world that must be followed
  • belief that morality should be based in human nature and have a search for happiness
• what did Aquinas believe?


  • NML could be used to reflect on our human nature and work out a telos
• what did Aquinas believe the Bible was?


  • inerrant and perfect
• what are the 4 causes?


  • material
  • formal (structure)
  • efficient (made how?)
  • final (purpose)
• what did Aristotle believe the final cause of humans was?


  • Eudaimonia
  • --> human flourishing, wellbeing and a good life
• what are the 4 aspects of Aquinas?


  • Eternal law( God's principles)
  • Divine law ( rules as guidance)
  • Natural law (God's moral law built into humans
  • Human law ( dervived from reason)
• what are the primary precepts?


  • established by reason, teleological aspect and apply to everyone
  • 1)the innocent
  • 2)order society
  • 3)worship God
  • 4)educate the young
  • 5)reproduce
• what are the secondary precepts?


  • more relative and vary by culture
  • never contradict the primary precepts
  • produced by reason to guide to an ultimate good (wisdom, creativity)
  • superior and subordinate aims
  • interior (intention) Exterior (action)
  • eg. giving to charity for publicity