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NATURAL LAW

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.

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NATURAL LAW

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  1. NATURAL LAW

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. Natural Law • He also thought that there must be an ultimate cause of the universe • The Prime Mover • The Prime Mover unmoved

  5. 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.

  6. Natural Law • Thomas Aquinas 1225 –1274 • He thought Aristotle’s ideas were tops • Long forgotten Aristotle was about to make a comeback

  7. Natural Law • Aquinas thought everything in the world was real and caused • Everything had a purpose • There was an ultimate purpose and first cause

  8. 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?

  9. Natural Law • Aquinas maintained there are two ways in which people can learn about God 2

  10. 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

  11. 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

  12. Natural Law • That seems a good starting point • What is the purpose of human life?

  13. 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

  14. Natural Law • Why on earth would people want to do this?

  15. Natural Law • Like Aristotle before him Aquinas thought people wanted to be good and virtuous

  16. 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!

  17. Natural Law • Plus several of his own drawn from St Paul Faith Hope Charity

  18. Natural Law • And Natural Law? Natural Law It was all part of God’s Law

  19. 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

  20. 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

  21. 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

  22. Natural Law • So correct human behaviour is directed by God? • Not quite – correct human behaviour is in accordance with God. PERHAPS

  23. Natural Law • Supposing I do the right thing but for the wrong reason? I think I am getting a headache

  24. 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

  25. 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

  26. Natural Law • With each moral act you do • Good must be the intention so that evil can be avoided

  27. Natural Law • Hang on a minute • Sometimes doing the right thing can be painful

  28. 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

  29. 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

  30. Natural Law • This is what Aquinas called Primary Precepts and Secondary Precepts

  31. 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

  32. Natural Law • Aquinas believed that humans have a fixed uniform nature and this led him to believe that there was a fixed Natural law.

  33. Natural Law • Natural Law is based on the action alone and takes no account of the consequences.

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