This is an A Level Natural Law Revision Map that has all the information need for this section of the ethics paper. It is a SUMMARY of the Natural Law topic in the A Level OCR specification (it is an overview, in depth analysis is detailed on my essay plans). It has been condensed into a colourful,...
Telos is often recognised as the ultimate goal or aim. For Eternal Law: The principles by which God made and controls the
Aristotle something is good if it fulfilled its end. He believed that universe and which are only fully known to God. Divine Law: The law
every human acts for some kind of end and the human being acts of God revealed in the Bible, particularly in the Ten Commandments
to acquire happiness and Eudaimonia. Aquinas’ understanding of and the Sermon on the Mount. Natural Law: The moral law of God
human telos was that it would be partially achieved by within human nature that is discoverable through use of reason.
flourishing (Eudaimonia) within the polis (community), and then Everyone has a natural sense ‘that good is to be done and evil
wholly achieved after death by being in the presence of God. For avoided’ which some called human nature. Human Law: The laws of
Aquinas, the true telos of human beings is not as Aristotle the nation- everyday rules that govern our lives .
suggested realising their potential in this world. For Aquinas,
heaven is the destiny for all human beings souls. THE PRECEPTS
REAL & APPARENT GOODS The primary precepts describe the general rules that human beings are
Like Aristotle, Aquinas did not believe that a human being could deliberately do inclined to follow. Aquinas saw the primary precepts of Natural Law as
evil. Aquinas believed that people chose either real or apparent goods. A real always true and applying to everybody without exception, as they are
good is something that is good according to natural law (correctly reasoned a direct ‘reflection’ of God’s eternal law: Worship God, Ordered
goods that help the moral agent achieve their telos). An apparent good is a society, Reproduce, Learn, Don’t die- protect and preserve the self
mistake, and it diminishes a person’s human nature (wrongly reasoned goods (WORLD). Secondary precepts are deduced from primary precepts.
that don’t help the moral agent achieve their God given purpose). They are applications of the primary precepts. For example, human
beings were made to live, so murder and euthanasia are wrong.
THE DOCTRINE OF DOUBLE EFFECT
The doctrine of double effect is a principle whereby some actions produce two results, SYNDERESIS RULE
one good and one bad. In certain circumstances - providing that there is no bad
To do good and avoid evil!
intention - it would be right to do a good action even though the consequences would
be bad.
STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
Main strengths of natural law: The view that everything has a telos is Main weaknesses of natural law: The view that everything has a telos
observable from common experience and from science. Aiming for a purpose and imposes an artificial idea of order and design. What exactly is our purpose?
ordered society preserves the environment. Natural law has some flexibility, Some argue that Natural Law is based on assumptions about the world
as although the primary precepts are unchanging and absolute, the secondary which modern science questions. There is no divine purpose- it is simply the
precepts can actually change to incorporate different things. Overall, way things are. Natural law's absolutist nature does not seem to take the
Natural law is largely quite clear and predictable- it has clear 'rules'. context of a situation into account.
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