Natural Law Essay

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R.S Ethics – Practice Exam Question – Natural Moral Law a) Explain the strengths of the natural moral law theory. (25) b) To what extent could a believer in natural law accept embryo research? (10) a) Natural law is a deontological, absolute theory originating from ancient Greece by Aristotle. The theory is based on ‘telos’ the Greek term for purpose and it was later altered by Thomas Aquinas. Natural law is a law based on five key principles called the primary precepts. These are: Preservation of Life, Reproduction, Care and Nurture of the Young, to Live Peacefully in Society and finally to Worship God. These laws must always be followed and in the order in which they are stated. These laws are absolute, but in addition to these rules there are another set of principles called the secondary precepts. These aren’t named and so have to be decided upon the individual but they must follow the primary precepts. For example, when the primary precept is reproduction, the secondary precept may be that the use of contraception is banned. These secondary precepts are relative and Aquinas says rely on the judgement of the individual. The strengths of natural law are that the rules are universal and all cultures are able to relate to them and so the theory is absolute. For example, all culture believes that living peacefully in society and the preservation of life are important values to have. Another strength of natural law is that with the secondary precepts being relative, the laws are relative to many situations as long as the primary precepts are being followed. For example, when the primary precept is to worship got, a secondary precept could be to go to church every Sunday, but also if it isn’t possible for an individual to do that, then the secondary precept for them might be to say grace before a meal and to dedicate a room at home for the worship of god.

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