Natural Law
Describe the approach of the Natural Law theory to moral decision making
Natural law is an absolute and deontological ethic which alligns itself to teleological aspects of morality. Cicero stated that ‘True law is right reason in accordance with nature.’ which is his definition of what is good, essentially linking it to the views of natural law. According to natural law, all humans know what is right and wrong as it is in their nature. Therefore, right and wrong do not need to be taught as St Paul clarifyed when he wrote that the ‘law is written in the hearts of the gentiles.’ According to natural law, when making moral decisions you should use your reason to figure out how to deal with a circumstance and it will direct you to your divine purpose. The Greek philosopher, Aristotle was a very influential man as he was the first person to say reason could be a way of making moral decisions, and was one of the first proponents of natural law. He believed that everything has a specific nature, purpose and function, and supreme good is only found when that thing’s purpose is fulfilled. A human’s supreme good is eudaimonia, which one can achieve by living a life of reason. Eudaimonia is the Greek word for happiness and Aristotle argues that the highest good for human beings is happiness. He insists that every action performed by humans is to pursue happiness. Aristotle also argues that human action is always aimed at some end or good. Thomas Aquinas also concluded that humans have a supreme goal or purpose, but he does not see this as eudaimonia. Aquinas thought that as humans are made ‘in the image of God’ the supreme good must be the development of this image: perfection. Although Aquinas did not think that this perfection was possible in this life. He believed that we could begin perfection in this life and continue it into the next. He developed a fuller account of natural law than those before him. His ethical approach is absolutist and
Natural law is an absolute and deontological ethic which alligns itself to teleological aspects of morality. Cicero stated that ‘True law is right reason in accordance with nature.’ which is his definition of what is good, essentially linking it to the views of natural law. According to natural law, all humans know what is right and wrong as it is in their nature. Therefore, right and wrong do not need to be taught as St Paul clarifyed when he wrote that the ‘law is written in the hearts of the gentiles.’ According to natural law, when making moral decisions you should use your reason to figure out how to deal with a circumstance and it will direct you to your divine purpose. The Greek philosopher, Aristotle was a very influential man as he was the first person to say reason could be a way of making moral decisions, and was one of the first proponents of natural law. He believed that everything has a specific nature, purpose and function, and supreme good is only found when that thing’s purpose is fulfilled. A human’s supreme good is eudaimonia, which one can achieve by living a life of reason. Eudaimonia is the Greek word for happiness and Aristotle argues that the highest good for human beings is happiness. He insists that every action performed by humans is to pursue happiness. Aristotle also argues that human action is always aimed at some end or good. Thomas Aquinas also concluded that humans have a supreme goal or purpose, but he does not see this as eudaimonia. Aquinas thought that as humans are made ‘in the image of God’ the supreme good must be the development of this image: perfection. Although Aquinas did not think that this perfection was possible in this life. He believed that we could begin perfection in this life and continue it into the next. He developed a fuller account of natural law than those before him. His ethical approach is absolutist and