Natural Moral Law is a theory that is explained by Thomas Aquinas and Aristotle. It states that there is a natural order to our world that should be followed. It was originated in the philosophy of Aristotle and then developed by Aquinas. Natural Law is an absolute theory of ethics but it is not rooted in duty but in our human nature and our search for genuine happiness and fulfilment. Aquinas considered that by using our reason to reflect on our human nature we could discover our specific end purpose.
Explain how Christians make moral decisions. (25 marks) Christians have different ways of making moral decisions. Some rely on pure Biblical teaching, others on the Churches leadership, and others on their own conscience and others on Thomas Aquinas’ Natural Law. People of the Catholic Church believe Jesus gave His authority to Peter, and it has been passed down ever since, currently lying with Pope Benedict. The Catholic Church has a magisterium - its teachings have a God-given authority that is equal to the authority of scripture.
The Christian understanding of this concept is based largely upon the work of Thomas Aquinas as he explained that faith and reason are closely related. Natural law appears to be the rational approach to morality as its basic principles such as: education of the young, protection of the innocent, to procreate, etc are a basic common feature of many societies in today’s era and many people will see it as us simply fulfilling our nature. This is a major strength to the idea of natural law as it is applicable to all. With it being the rational approach it is seen as the logical approach showing that a logical approach is one of an objective idea so therefore is eternal and unchanging. It allows the basic natural instincts of a
The theory of natural law is an absolutist theory, unlike others it is not rooted in duty or external law; it is within our human nature and our search for fulfilment and happiness. This is the same in all cultures and religions and it does not change to include circumstances or take into account relative situations. This idea of a natural law was first developed by the stoics and Aristotle. The stoics believed that, in every human being there is a divine spark which guides and helps us to live in the way god wants, they also say that we have a choice of whether to obey the laws which govern the universe, however we have to use our reason to understand whether we should obey the laws. The stoics also said that we should try to fit into the overall plan of the universe by finding our place or duty among society.
(a) Describe the origins and features of the natural law theory Natural law is a deontological ethical theory which considers something to be moral if it fulfils God’s plan for creation. Thomas Aquinas discussed, that because every human is created by God, then our purpose is to live life according to God’s plan for us. Natural law was fully developed by Thomas Aquinas in the thirteenth century, although Vardy and Grosch comment, “the natural law approach to morality has a long history” as the concept originated long before the time of Aquinas. The concept of natural law can be traced back to the time of the Greek philosopher Aristotle. He explained that everything has a purpose – “a good knife is one that cuts well, that is what it is designed to do”.
Natural Law is a normative ethical theory and is considered to be a Christian ethic as it roots from the scriptures. This theory was put forward by Aristotle, based his theory of the efficient and final cause, and was championed by Aquinas in the 13th Century. It is a deontological theory that looks solely at the action, irrespective of the consequences therefore if an action is good, but the consequence is bad, Aquinas would deem this to be good.. Aquinas based his Natural Law theory on four words, "do good, avoid evil" and attempted to answer two questions; What is one's purpose? and What are we designed for?. It is also a deductive theory as the 5 primary precepts can be deduced to form secondary precepts such as do not abort.
The eternal law infers Gods rationing of the universe whilst the divine law is based on Biblical and Church teachings. Central to the theory is natural law, a source of fulfilment on earth and the ‘heart of all gentiles’ (St Paul). From this, human law was devised, which governs daily behaviour and acts as an extension of natural law to be exercised by the state. The four cardinal virtues are a further key feature and
This applies whether truth is discovered Scriptural or scientifically. From this basis the natural world, human identity, human relationships, and culture can be defined from a Christian worldview. More specifically, Romans 1 through 8 gives insight into these subjects. The Natural World The natural world is perceived differently based on the worldview an individual holds. From a naturalism perception the material or physical universe is the only reality.
This ethical theory aligns itself with a Christian worldview, arguing that an action is good only if the principle behind the action is moral law (Giersson and Holmgren, 2000). In other words, actions should only be done in accordance with God’s will. For instance, clearly stating how outliers are addressed when drawing conclusions based on the statistical analysis is ethical in that it is the right thing to do so that the probability of misinterpretation is minimized. Additionally, Kantian ethics also require autonomy, which is often required in relationship to dealing with clients and the subjects from whom data is collected (Tittle, 2000). Again, this ties back to the Christian worldview of loving ones neighbor.
Natural Moral law is an absolute ethical theory that states that there is natural order to the world we live in. It is believed that is order is established by some supernatural power. Natural Moral law originated in the philosophy of the ancient Greeks, especially that of Aristotle and Aquinas. This theory that is being tested to see if it is the best approach for decision making is not rooted in duty, or an externally