The effectiveness of Aquinas' Natural law in dealing with ethical issues

NML offers a clear ethical system thats easy to follow

Once rules are established, people know what to do. E.g. it is wrong to have an abortion unless the mothers life is at risk. The same rule applies to everyone so it is clear what to do. Many people lack the ability to reason correctly and NL gives them simple rules to follow

Moral problems are complex and cant be solved with simple rules

NL doesn't look at the unique moral situation so it doesn't support the needs of people at all. E.g. abortion is widely recognised as a complex dilemma. Individual autonomy are better guides than ridged rules. A compassionate response to moral problems is needed

NML has a certain amount of flexibility

Natural law allows for secondary precepts to vary if an extreme situation arises (it has a teleological aspect to it). Natural law allows exceptions with the doctrine of double effect

NML ignores any potential bad consequences of our actions

For example a natural law secondary precept is that "contraception is wrong) because it breaks the primary precept of the reproduction of the human species. However the consequence of this is that poorer families, particularly in 3rd world countries, are having children that they can't afford to bring up- thus creating greater poverty and suffering. Natural law ignores these bad consequences

NML is all encompassing

Natural law can be applied to all ethical issues including modern ethical issues that are not covered in the Bible e.g. genetic modification. Therefore natural law can be applied to all ethical issues in a contemporary society.

NML creates a choking web of law

Legalistic ethics runs into problems when life throws u a curve ball and requires an additional law to fit a new situation. E.g. once murder has been prohibited u have to clarify dilemmas stemming from this such as self-defence, war, abortion and euthanasia. The legalist must either inc all the complex alternatives within the law or create new laws to cover the result. This can produce a "choking web of law". It creates a textbook morality that requires people to check the rule book before they act