applications

• theft:

  • NML response: prohibited; violates primary precept of living in ordered society + secondary precept “do not steal”
  • Aquinas‘ response: permitted; with proportionate reasoning e.g. stealing to save a life
  • Proportionalists response = permitted; similar to Aquinas; produce more value than disvalue with intention to save a life
  • DDE response: prohibited; means = bad act of stealing justifies the end = saving a life
• lying:

  • NML response: prohibited; violates primary precept of living in ordered society
  • Aquinas' response: prohibited; however allows misleading truths e.g. mad axe man turns up to your house looking for your friend who is hiding in your house: you tell him you saw the friend earlier (evading question)
  • Proportionalist response: permitted e.g. to save a life as it promotes more value than disvalue
• embryo research; cloning:

  • NML response: prohibited; goes against primary precepts of reproduction, worship of God + living in ordered society
  • “before I formed you in the womb I knew you”
• designer babies:

  • NML response: prohibited
  • goes against ‘imago Dei’
  • violates primary precept of ordered society as could create a gap between rich + poor
• abortion:

  • NML response: prohibited; violates primary precepts of preservation of life, worship of God + reproduction
  • Aquinas' response: prohibited; believes a person is present with rational soul at 60-80 days, but anyone who causes the death of a foetus at any time is guilty of murder
  • Catholics = reinforce this approach but person becomes present at conception
  • DDE = only permitted through indirect reason e.g. cancerous womb of pregnant woman, must remove to save woman's life but intention is not to kill baby
  • Sanctity of Life Principle
• voluntary euthanasia; assisted suicide

  • NML response: prohibited
  • Aquinas = the most fearsome evil is not pain or disability, but death itself
  • suicide: opposes inclination to live; violates primary precepts of ordered society (injures community), worship of God (life = God’s gift)
• capital punishment:

  • NML response: permitted
  • Aquinas response: permitted; legitimate if carried out by state-appointed executioner; just as it is “lawful to kill a wild beast”
  • Catholic Church = emphasises importance of protection + deterrence, but more emphasis on possibility of reform + alternative
• use of animals as food; intensive farming:

  • NML response: permitted; issue of whether animals have rights is irrelevant as these rights are subordinate to the rights of humans which includes use of animals however humans wish
  • Aristotle’s hierarchy of souls: humans are above animals; animals are for human use
• use of animals in scientific procedures [animal testing]; cloning:

  • NML response: permitted - promotes primary precept of preservation of life
  • Aquinas' response: necessary pain: accepted; unnecessary pain: unacceptable as “might go on to do the same to men”
  • Catholic Church: allows but “animals are God’s creatures… thus men owe them kindness”
  • status of animals = human property therefore not immoral, especially if leads to development of cures for human diseases; acceptable even if animal dies
• blood sports:

  • NML + Aquinas: permitted - humans can use animals as they see fit, pain + suffering inflicted is acceptable in that use; acceptable if the animal dies
  • Catholic Church: generally agrees but states “men owe [animals] kindness” + “contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly”; Catholic groups have called on the Pope to take action over blood sports: role of stewardship (look after the world for God)
• animals as a source of organs for transplants:

  • NML response: permitted - with safeguards: so a ban on attempts to modify human germline (violates primary precept of worship of God as alters “imago Dei”)
  • Aquinas: permitted; doesn’t value due concern for suffering of animals in process
  • hierarchy of souls: permitted for human use
  • upholds primary precept of preservation of life
  • Catholic Church: procedures should consider animal pain, “men owe animals kindness”