NATURAL LAW
Natural Law • Let’s go back to Aristotle • Quite a breath of common sense after Plato • He dealt with objects just as we see them • They’re real not copies or images • Bit of an empiricist was Aristotle • Things we see are caused
Aristotle believed Natural Law • Everything in the universe has a place and a purpose • It all fits together Gravity Water Air Rain Wind Sun Food Seasons Fire
Natural Law • He also thought that there must be an ultimate cause of the universe • The Prime Mover • The Prime Mover unmoved
Natural Law • As far as people were concerned • Aristotle believed people wanted to live a good happy life EUDAIMONIA Right actions would automatically follow and the excellent person would automatically behave in the right sort of way.
Natural Law • Thomas Aquinas 1225 –1274 • He thought Aristotle’s ideas were tops • Long forgotten Aristotle was about to make a comeback
Natural Law • Aquinas thought everything in the world was real and caused • Everything had a purpose • There was an ultimate purpose and first cause
Natural Law • Which was God • Who was, by the way uncaused and necessary. Who let that goldfish in? What d’yer mean it escaped from the Cosmological Argument?
Natural Law • Aquinas maintained there are two ways in which people can learn about God 2
Natural Law • Revealed Theology – that’s reading the Bible to you and me • Natural Theology – working out the truth of God by the use of reason
Natural Law • Aquinas favoured the latter • Truths about God can be worked out by reason • The purpose of human life can be worked out by reason
Natural Law • That seems a good starting point • What is the purpose of human life?
Natural Law • The purpose of human life Preservation of the self To reproduce To live in an ordered society To worship God These could be discovered by reason
Natural Law • Why on earth would people want to do this?
Natural Law • Like Aristotle before him Aquinas thought people wanted to be good and virtuous
Natural Law • He even produced a list of virtues • Cardinal Virtues which of course came from Aristotle Prudence Temperance Fortitude Justice If you don’t know what these mean, then look them up!
Natural Law • Plus several of his own drawn from St Paul Faith Hope Charity
Natural Law • And Natural Law? Natural Law It was all part of God’s Law
Natural Law • ETERNAL LAW Order which is in the mind of God. • DIVINE LAWGiven to people by God through the Bible and the church. • NATURAL LAWOur inborn sense of right and wrong discovered by conscience. • HUMAN LAWRules made by human societies
Natural Law • So Natural Law comes from God • It is a law that a person could work out for him or her self through Reason Natural Law can be detected by anyone
Natural Law • The Church didn’t always like that but Aristotle was determined. God’s law could be revealed through the Bible God’s law could be worked out by reason
Natural Law • So correct human behaviour is directed by God? • Not quite – correct human behaviour is in accordance with God. PERHAPS
Natural Law • Supposing I do the right thing but for the wrong reason? I think I am getting a headache
Natural Law • Supposing I help an old lady across the road just so that she will give me a reward Ha ha gotcha Good act for a bad reason
Natural Law • Aquinas thought of that • Your interior motive must be the same as the exterior action You must want to help her So you actually do help her
Natural Law • With each moral act you do • Good must be the intention so that evil can be avoided
Natural Law • Hang on a minute • Sometimes doing the right thing can be painful
Natural Law • Like telling the kids off when they misbehave Yes but you do that so that they will not be unruly or learn to live chaotic lives
Natural Law • It’s the same when you go to the dentist • He drills and fills the tooth • So that you will get better oral hygiene and avoid even worse pain
Natural Law • This is what Aquinas called Primary Precepts and Secondary Precepts
Natural Law • Secondary precepts are a bit like what the dentist actually does – the bit that hurts Primary precepts are his ultimate goal – better oral hygiene and that is good
Natural Law • Aquinas believed that humans have a fixed uniform nature and this led him to believe that there was a fixed Natural law.
Natural Law • Natural Law is based on the action alone and takes no account of the consequences.
