to what extent is natural law a helpful method of moral descion making

intro →

• natural law is a deontological theory concertned with fufiling the human telos of reflecting the image of God.

• first developed by thomas aquinas in summa theologica

• augustine makes a helpful method of moral descion making through the primary and secondary precepts as well as through the double effect, which all help to create clear and universal ways of moral descion making with some degree of flexbilitly

• however, there are flaws within this moral descion making method which make it unhelpful due to it making assumption of the similarity of people and it’s absolutist nature which hinders its helpfulness

• however, it is helpful to an extent with moral descion making, (as in this modern society less moral guidelines are needed as we have evolved into more morally genious people in comparssion to the socio-econmical context of aquinas’ life)

para 1 → the primary precepts, (WORLD)

• A= used to guide people towards their telos thus act in moral way

• A= e.g percept of ‘preservation of life’ moral descion making which preseves and foucses on humanity, logically this is a moral thing to do

• A= thus allows for guidance of how to behave morally

• C = the absolutist nature of the primary precepts means that there are times when it is too legalsitic

• C = because of its deontological apprach there is a focus on obeying rules even if it has negative consquences E.G → reproduction precept being upheld led to the spread of HIV and AIDs in africa

• A = aquinas response→ that it is interpretation of the theory rather than the theory itself

• C = but since it is legalstic and absolutist there are still major issues with its flexibitly despite its clarity

para 1 → evaluation

• unhelpful because it is too absolute and legalistic in a society whereby due to complexity (and a growth in moralitly) it becomes unhelpful by not allowing flexibity

para 2 → secondary precepts (aquinas, implores more flexibitly into the ethic to increase its helpfulness)

• A = SP allow for human reasoning to be used t work out a set of rules that apply universally because of the commonalities amoung human nature

• A= E.G reproduction and preservation of life → anti abortion laws due to sacnity of life principle. this has also become increasingly secularised within society meaning it can be a helpful method of moral descion making

• C = naturalsitic fallacy is created → assumes universalsation ← not everyone will interpret laws the same way, so the flexibilty of this part of the ethic makes it unclear, causing more issues within the ethic to which make it unhelpful

• C = barth and agustine further this by suggesting that the reason why this occurs is because of orginal sin, so an ethic which has too much human reasoning cannot be helpful to moral descion making because human corruption means we are unable to make ethically good descions

• C = not helpful since it only encourages vagueness

• A = aquinas tries to counter through his belief in cosceintea, our human abilitly to apply reason BUT (C) it is ovibious that human corruption and through the fallacy of universalsation (from a more secularised perpective) leads it too be unhelpful

para 2 → evaluation

• although aquinas attemps to create more flexbilitly and clairty through the secondary precepts, he ends up making natural law vague and confusing within its application of moral descion making, thus it isnt helpful

para 3 → double effect, the intetion of the ethic is what matters the most, if intention is pure within an action but the consquence is negative this does not matter E.G → permitted of killing in self defense

• A = strength is increased flexibilty which allows for moral descion making to occur for example passive euthansia or an abortion to save the life of a mother. which break to PP and SP but because the intetion was pure, this doesnt matter

• A = b, hoose supports through a proportionlist approach, thus allows for moral descion making to occur

• C = defenders toward a more tradtional deonotological approach.

• C = issues with how we can know the intetion behind someones actions, was this a moral descion or an immoral descion. an external postion cannot thus tell us only the person themselve shall know

• C= it adds a level of complexity within the ethic which diminshes its helpful

para 3 → evaluation

• the double effect can be a useful method of moral descion making since it allows for flexibilty however an acknowledgement of the complexity which is added to moral descon aking which may make it unhelpful for some

conclusion

• In conclusion, it is cleat that natural law ca be of help in moral descion making to an extent

• the utilisation of the double effect allows for a more propotionalist approach

• however, it isnt particualry helpful iin regards to the primary precepts which creaste too much of an abolusist approach and when aquinas atttempts to add flexibility it leads to confusion.