natural law discussion

• Does natural law provide a helpful method of moral decision making?

  • legalistic way of working out what is morally right
  • guide for particular decisions
  • primary precepts inspired by God - unhelpful to atheists
  • puts people into boxes defined by telos
  • legal operation
  • enduring appeal
• Does human nature have an orientation towards the good?

  • natural response to be good
  • need a society to get along - interconnection
  • hobbes argued that men become evil and cruel to survive
  • humans damage the natural world
  • self preservation
• Can a judgement about something being good,bad, right or wrong be based on its success or failure in achieving its telos?

  • telos - good if purpose fulfilled
  • central to Catholic Moral Theology
  • weigh up moral judgements
  • offers stability - moral order
  • rationality isn't at the top
  • historical conscious world view
• Has the universe as a whole been designed with a telos?

  • fixed
  • immutable
  • unchanging
  • Hans Kung - Natural is based on a rather arbitrary distinction
  • order found in society
• Can the doctrine of double effect be used to justify an action, such as killing someone as an act of self defence?

  • might allow for self defence
  • abortion may not be the same
  • good intentions lead us astray -- may result in going astray
  • interested in human intention
  • good for difficult decisions implausible
• Natural law is deontological