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Natural Law

Natural Law. Is there anything that is steady and secure? Answer: God’s order and eternal plan with the universe and man’s special place among the creatures; “a rational animal”. Implications: There are some values given in creation: life, procreation, knowledge and social relations.

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Natural Law

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  1. Natural Law

  2. Is there anything that is steady and secure? • Answer: God’s order and eternal plan with the universe and man’s special place among the creatures; “a rational animal”. • Implications: • There are some values given in creation: life, procreation, knowledge and social relations. • Man can through his reasons distinguish between right and wrong

  3. Case: Cambodia, Ruanda, Darfur, Zimbabwe, Kosovo…are some recent examples of countries that have been threatened by severe oppression and genocide. Is it morally right for neighbours to intervene in order to restore peace? Case

  4. Morally relevant aspects: • Oppression and poverty – obstacles to life and social relations • The international order – based in a natural order; preservation of peace • The intention of the intervener? • A possible reasoning: • The choice is between intervention and letting the genocide continue • If there is a reasonable chance of a successful intervention and the violence is proportional to the goal, and • If the intention is to restore peace , • Then, an intervention is morally legitimate.

  5. Thomas Aquinas 1224-1274

  6. Sources: Aristotle “the Philosopher” and Augustine • Summa Theologica • Teleology: criteria of a right act is the goal (telos) achieved, but what is the goal? • Development of what is potential; the ends and purposes that are essential to being human; life, procreation etc • Eudaimonism: happiness is the ultimate aim for human life • Theology: the ultimate aim of human life is knowledge of God Background: Naturallawtheory

  7. The four laws: • the eternal law; God’s creation and plan • the natural law; human nature and practical rationality • the human law; moral and legal rules • the revealed law The theory of Natural law:

  8. Criteria for a right action? Implications for moral decision-making? • Two methods to make moral decisions: • To find out what is “natural” – according to nature (ex prohibition of suicide) • What is according to the common good? (teleology)

  9. Decision making procedure • The principle of double effect • Act A has both good and bad effects • A is morally right if: • 1) the good effects are intended, and • 2) the bad is not out of proportion to the good effects

  10. A patient is in the last stage of his life because of cancer • He has severe pains • The doctor decides to give morphine to relieve pain (intention) • The patient dies (not intended but possible effects) • Is the act right? Principle of double effect

  11. God • Angels Soul • Man (“ensouled body”) • Animals animal soul • Plants vegetative soul • Inanimate things Materia Human dignity

  12. Two points of departure for Evangelical Protestantism (ex Karl Barth): • A different view of man : man is sinful – negative anthropology • Moral insights through revelation – not through nature/reason

  13. “God speaks man listens • God commands man obeys” Karl Barth

  14. Is abortion of a foetus with genetic disease permitted? • Gods command: Thou should not kill! • The foetus is a human life • Abortion is killing a human life • Abortion is not permitted

  15. Presuppose a controversial assumption: the existence of God • how do we know what is God’s will? • Denies the communicative character of morality • Denies the possibility of unity between Christians and non-Christians Problems with the divine command theory

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