Natural law

• Who came up with natural law?

  Aquinas
• What are Aquinas’ four tiers of law?

  Eternal law

  Divine law

  Natural law

  Human law
• What is eternal law?

  The law in the eyes of God

  We cannot discover eternal law
• What is divine law?

  Law revealed by God through scripture
• What is natural law?


  Moral thinking we can all do, with use of reason given to us by God
• What is human law?


  The laws decided by society, from those in positions of power
• What does Aquinas say about obeying human law?


  “Man is bound to obey secular rules to the extent that the order of justice requires… if they command unjust things, their subjects are not obliged to obey them.”
• What is a precept?

  When we reflect on our telos and understand the synderesis rule, we find out things that we are obliged to do as a human
• What is telos?


  Our purpose
• What is the synderesis rule?

  The inclination towards good and away from evil
• What are the five precepts?

  • Worship god
  • Preservation of life
  • Reproduce
  • Learn
  • Live in an ordered society
• What is a secondary precept?


  More specific rules that are deduced from primary precepts

  Eg we don’t steal because we want to live in an ordered society
• What is the doctrine of double effect?

  A good action may have a bad effect, as long as the intention was good
• What is an example of the doctrine of double effect?


  Self defence. The intended effect is to save your own life (good) but you kill someone else in the process (bad)

  The doctrine of double effect says you are not morally responsible for this as the intent was not to kill
• What is the difference between real and apparent goods?


  Real goods are things that truly benefit us, while apparent goods are things that seem beneficial but may be pursuing it for their own pleasure
• What is an issue with natural law and telos?

  If there isn’t a telos, then natural law doesn’t work, as it is dependent on the idea that we have a purpose
• Who claims humans are fallen and incapable of reason?

  Augustin
• What is a strength of natural law?


  Values life and right, sees life as intrinsically valuable
• What is a strength of using the doctrine of double effect?


  Allows flexibility
• Who argued natural law could still be followed without a belief in God?

  Hugo Grotuis
• What did John Finnis argue?


  Believes things like friendship, work, and knowledge are basic form of human flourishing (similar to Aristotle’s concept of eudaemonia), and if we pursue these goods alongside reason we can work out certain requirements all humans need