...Explain how Natural Law theory can be used to decide the right moral action [25] Natural law is an absolutist theory which is most commonly associated with Thomas Aquinas. It mainly relies on Aquinas’ theory that humans try to do good things and try to avoid evil in order to find fulfilment and happiness in life. However, according to Aquinas there are two types of good. There is the real good and the apparent good. The ‘real good’ is something that genuinely leads us to fulfil our purpose and achieve perfection. And the ‘apparent good’ is something that only appears good to us but it isn’t genuinely good. For example, a real good would be to study and revise for exams, whereas an apparent good would be to enjoy ourselves by watching television. We might think the second option is the real good for us but it’s the apparent good as we are not really benefiting from it. Aquinas is arguing that for a person to be happy, they must do good actions which can be one of the two types of good. He is also arguing that if humans do evil, they will be lead to the path of unhappiness. This could be interpreted as our actions determine the extent of happiness in our lives. This is known as the Synderesis Rule. Natural law in itself is based on five primary precepts which were, according to Aquinas, revealed to us by God. In defining the Primary Precepts, Aquinas was stating 'self-evident principles' that are universal and absolute - they are part of our very nature as humans, this sounds...
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...a) Explain how a follower of Natural Law theory might approach the issue surrounding abortion. The Natural Law Theory has developed over time since the era of the ancient Greeks, and it is not necessarily based on one single theory. Natural law is the belief that God has created the universe to work in certain ways. The structure of Natural Law is not accidental; it is deliberate and has important implications to the human race (this can also be used to argue the existence of God in the teleological argument). Humans have a duty to conform to Natural Law. If they do not conform it is morally bad. St Thomas Aquinas linked his idea of Natural Law with Aristotle’s view that people have a specific nature, purpose and function. Aristotle said that not only does everything have a purpose, but also it achieves supreme good when it fulfill its purpose. Aristotle stated that the supreme good for humans is to achieve happiness, which can be related to mill’s utilitarianism where our aim is to gain happiness by avoiding pain and gaining pleasure, but Aristotle did not follow the consequentialist nature of utilitarianism. Aristotle said we were to achieve the final goal by living a life of reason based on what we experience, and this follows the deontological nature of Kantian ethics. Aquinas said that humans beings have an essential rational nature given by God in order for us to live and flourish, even without God reason can discover laws that lead to human flourishing, this is...
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...AS Philosophy & Ethics Course Handbook 2013 to 2014 [pic] OCR AS Level Religious Studies (H172) http://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/type/gce/hss/rs/index.aspx OCR AS Level Religious Studies (H172) You are studying Philosophy of Religion and Religious Ethics and will be awarded an OCR AS Level in Religious Studies. The modules and their weightings are: |AS: |Unit Code |Unit Title |% of AS |(% of A Level) | | |G571 |AS Philosophy of Religion |50% |(25%) | | |G572 |AS Religious Ethics |50% |(25%) | If you decide to study for the full A Level you will have to study the following modules at A2: |A2: |Unit Code |Unit Title |(% of A Level) | | |G581 |A2 Philosophy of Religion |(25%) | | |G582 |A2 Religious Ethics |(25%) | Grading | ...
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...Natural Law, according to MacKinney (2013) is the moral law written into nature itself, and what we ought to do is determined by considering certain aspects of nature. Specifically, we ought to examine our nature as human beings to see what is essential for us to function well as members of our species. Social Darwinism, as explained by Quist-Adade (2006) is the theory that believes some societies, races, etc are endowed with superior genes, while others inherit inferior genes. In this paper I will talk about the relationship between natural law and Social Darwinism and between Social Darwinism and racism. I will also explain if my opinion about Social Darwinism changed or remained the same after reading the article “What is race and what is racism” by Quist-Adade. Finally I will explain how the theory of Social Darwinism and the information in the article influenced my views on natural law and natural rights, and what problems might arise from trying to apply these theories in society. After reading the article, the relationship of natural law and Social Darwinism did surprise me a little. Professor Bannister writing for Encarta Online Encyclopedia explains Darwin applied his theories of natural selection specifically to people in The Descent of Man, which many critics viewed as justification for the cruel social policies in England at the time, and imperialism abroad. Herbert Spencer used his understanding of Darwin’s evolution theory and combined it with natural law to come...
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...creationism. However, the main question most people ask themselves is, which one is actually true? The following reflect two different point of views. What is Darwin's Theory of Evolution? In this article, the author explains and defines the evolution. According to the text, the theory of evolution began after Charles Darwin published his first book in 1859 (Than, 2015). This resulted in giving the world a different perspective and thought about how humanity actually began. Darwin mentioned that evolution happened through a process called natural selection. This stated that over time the organism begins to have different changes in order to adapt to his or her environment (Than, 2015). Later, these changes were heritable and permitted the descendants to live better and survive in the present environment (Than, 2015)....
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...Explain the strengths and weaknesses of Natural Law Theory (25 marks) As an absolutist theory, Natural Law is universalisable and proposes objective moral standards. These standards, as they are achieved through reason, are not limited to faith and are not bound by God. This means that the theory is accessible to the non-believer as well. This makes it a more versatile and accessible ethical system. This is a strength as many of the ethical systems including will only work if used by all people and for different reasons theories such as Kant aren’t as versatile meaning this is a more realistic ethical theory for people to use. Once the Primary Precepts of Preserve Life; Live in Society; Educate the Young; Continue through Reproduction; and Worship God are understood, the theory is very easy to apply and follow. It is easy to reach conclusions and the theory is quite clear cut in what it believes. However, the theory may come unstuck when one begins picking apart and re-understanding what the precepts mean. This clear cut approach is a strength as the principles are easy to understand and typically would not need to be disputed. One of the flaws of Natural Law theory is the question; do any of the precepts take priority over the others? Does educate the young mean invest in schools? Or encourage independent study? Does preservation of life include abortion and euthanasia? This poses a flaw due to the fact that people will not be sure in terms in conflicts of interested...
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...1) Explain Natural Law Theory. Natural Law refers to the laws of nature; it is also the basis of all science, observing what happened in nature, it is also a law that stretches across all cultures and ways of life. It is based on the religious idea of a God who creates everything with a purpose and end in the mind. Natural Law ethics is part of natural theology that tells us how God wants us to live here and now. To live according to natural law is to live by Gods intentions ethical direction can be found in what is common to all humans. If we follow these common dispositions then we act as God intended= we act in a good way. If we investigate carefully and reason correctly our search will lead to God. This is the basic of natural Theology. Natural law becomes more specific when we move towards secondary principles such as the 10 commandments (secondary law). They are always valid but we should not act upon them. Natural law is split up into 4 channels which are: Eternal Law- Is the mind of God which humans cannot know. Contained within it are the laws which govern the creation of the universe and cannot control the life cycle of everything in existence. Although humans cannot fully know the Eternal law, they can occasionally glimpse reflection of it, for example, through scientific knowledge of aspects of natural law. This shows that God is the starting point, his idea, his rules. He reveals himself threw divine law. God is also thinking about creating a world. We will...
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...Tanner Pardue #16 Video 1 essay: Is it correct to say the evolution is just a theory? Is Gravity just a theory? Many people would argue about weather Evolution is a fact or theory. There are certain characteristics that make a theory a theory and a fact a fact. A theory is something that is thought to have happened or why something happens etc. but a theory is something that hasn’t been proven. When someone’s theory is proven it is considered a fact. So with knowing this I must agree that Evolution is just a theory because there is no complete proof or evidence to prove support or back up the theory of evolution. Therefore due to the definition of a fact and theory evolution must be a theory. Too me Gravity is not a theory. I believe this because gravity has laws; each law explains how gravity works. When these laws are tested in both environments with and without gravity the laws are proven to be true and work. Therefore due to the definition of a Fact in my personal opinion gravity would be a fact since the laws of it can be proven to be true. Video 2 essay: Why was Darwin considered to be a “revolutionary”? Charles Darwin is one of the most famous biologists in history. With a Theory called Natural selection he helped prove that biology makes since and how all species evolve to be designed how they are over time. As he studied the Galapagos Islands off South America he observed many different species of animals. He looked at how they reacted around each...
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...Design Arguments St. Thomas Aquinas was an important theologian and philosopher whose work on the nature and existence of God and his arguments for a moral code based on the ‘natural law’ God has instilled in the universe have formed the central teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. He sought to bring faith and reason together in order to develop the place of theology in the world. The argument from design finds its origins in Aquinas’ Summa Theologica and is the fifth of his five ways of proving the existence of God. Aquinas’ argument can be explained as follows: “The fifth way is taken from the governance of the world. We see that things which lack knowledge, such as natural bodies, act for an end, and this is evident from their acting always, or nearly always, in the same way, so as to obtain the best result. Hence it is plain that they achieve their end, not fortuitously, but designedly. Now whatever lacks knowledge cannot move towards an end, unless it be directed by some being endowed with knowledge and intelligence; as the arrow is directed by the archer. Therefore some intelligent being exists by whom all natural things are directed to their end; and this being we call God.” Aquinas argued from design qua regularity. He saw the overall order in the world as proof of a designer: ‘this being we call God.’ Aquinas stated that everything works together to achieve order, despite the fact that inanimate objects have no mind or rational powers to achieve...
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...CLASSIFICATION OF LAW Objectives of the course:- • Enable the students to think in a more abstract or general fashion than is generally achieved in the study of specific areas of law and demonstrate the same in answering questions. • Enable the student to develop the willingness to question and think independently and to find out more in the study of law. • Discuss critically the definition of law • Explain the various scholars position on their attempt to define the meaning of law • Distinguish law from morality; justice • Explain the various classification of laws • Discuss the functions of law in society Nature of law Meanings given to the word law The word law has various meaning which are used by different classes & types of people. Examples • Regulations that help in the smooth and proper running of institutions such as colleges and Universities could be referred to as laws/ rules. • There are laws of science, which are basis formulas and set standards to be applied in the field of different sciences. • There is also the layman’s idea of what law is. He will have a rough idea of where the law came from - the politicians (which are his description of parliament) and the judges. He knows that if he steals and he is caught he will be punished. He also knows that if a drunk driver knocks him down and injures him, he will have the law on his side. However, he will know nothing of the branches of law (law of tort and criminal law) which gives him a remedy in law. He will...
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...options and decided to stay home to celebrate your little brother’s birthday. Did you just make a free choice, or was your decision just the result of the natural laws in the universe coming together forcing you to stay home? In the words of Arthur Schopenhauer, ""Man can do what he wills but he cannot will what he wills" . According to this, though you may believe that you have the complete freedom to choose where you wanted to go, your ultimate choice was caused by the events that occurred before this one. Although the choice of going to the party or staying home may seem to have given the illusion of free will, there was ultimately a physical law that could most likely explain why this decision was made. First off, there are three main viewpoints on the idea of free will: compatibilism, determinism, and indeterminism. Compatibilists state that it is possible for both free will and determinism to exist at the same time. Given an instance, a compatibilist will say that even though you are only really presented with one option in all situations, if this option is in accordance with the your true desires, then you have free will. Another idea some compatibilists believe is that there is always a natural law that can explain an outcome, but on minute levels, it is possible that the law is wrong. Because laws only explain what is most likely to occur, but nothing is ever completely determined on such a small level. An indeterminist would say that given a situation you would...
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...Natural Law is an absolutist theory because it doesn’t vary its primary precepts with circumstances. Natural law is a mixture of teleological and deontological because it has primary precepts which are to do with duty, and secondary which apply to circumstances. Thomas Aquinas based Natural Law on Aristotle’s teaching about causality. In Aristotle Final cause and purpose are important when trying to give an explanation of a thing. Eg. the final cause of a knife is to cut. Aristotle thought this is what made a good knife. Something is good inasmuch as it fulfills its purpose. (The most important cause is the final cause which when achieved by an object it reaches perfection – because it has moved from potentiality to actuality eg. a potential A grade student becomes an actual one through application of hard work. ) The contrast with other senses of the word good can be brought out if we consider that a good knife can be used to perform a bad deed – ie. to stab a person. However, if it cut cleanly it would be good in the sense of doing what it was made for. This use of the word good is taken up in Aquinas and used in his theory. What is clear for a knife is not so clear for humans – what is our purpose? Ultimately, God Himself is the final purpose of human beings – our goals are not merely temporal, but eternal, because we have an immortal soul. However, we also have temporal purposes, which could be summarised as to live and flourish in certain ways discoverable by reason...
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...Aquinas and Plato: Of Souls and Men Question 2 “…since the rational soul is the proper form of man, there is in every man a natural inclination to act according to reason, and this is to act according to virtue. Consequently, considered thus, all acts of virtue are prescribed by the natural law.” (Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, p. 223) a. Analyze the passage and explain the meaning of natural law according to Aquinas. b. Compare this passage to Plato’s theory of ideas. To understand the concepts proposed in the assigned quote, this paper will first break down the quote into its individual statements. This independent analysis will then be utilized to find a core message in the quote as a whole, and ultimately to assist in understanding Thomas Aquinas’ view of natural law as a governing precept of human thought and action and in comparison to Plato’s theory of ideas. “…The rational soul is the proper form of man…” The first statement in the quote establishes what Aquinas sees to be as the essence of humanity. He understood the rational soul to be that aspect of the soul that creates reason. He understood reason to be the defining characteristic that separates man from other animals. Therefore, the rational soul being the mover that differentiates man, it is man’s proper form. He is making a judgment that since reason is what makes man unique it is also what man is, properly. The idea of form is important as well. Aquinas understood man to consist...
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...Behaviorism as a Theory of Personality: A Critical Look Payal Naik Northwestern University This paper explores the theory of behaviorism and evaluates its effectiveness as a theory of personality. It takes into consideration all aspects of the behaviorism theory, including Pavlov's classical conditioning and Skinner's operant conditioning. Additional research in this field by scientists such as Thorndike is also included. As a result of this critical look at behaviorism, its weaknesses as a comprehensive personality theory are revealed. At the same time, its merits when restricted to certain areas of psychology and treatment of disorders are discussed. For as long as human beings can remember, they have always been interested in what makes them who they are and what aspects of their being set each of them apart from others of their species. The answer according to behaviorists is nothing more than the world in which they grew up. Behaviorism is the theory that human nature can be fully understood by the laws inherent in the natural environment. As one of the oldest theories of personality, behaviorism dates back to Descartes, who introduced the idea of a stimulus and called the person a machine dependent on external events whose soul was the ghost in the machine. Behaviorism takes this idea to another level. Although most theories operate to some degree on the assumption that humans have some sort of free will and are moral thinking entities, behaviorism refuses to acknowledge...
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...were probably intended to justify the general armed rising which the Country Party leaders were planning. It was a truly revolutionary work. Supposing that the Two Treatises may have been intended to explain and defend the revolutionary plot against Charles II and his brother, how does it do this? What do reflections on the state of nature and the state of war have to do with distinguishing between legitimate and illegitimate civil government? The First Treatise of Civil Government is a polemical work aimed at refuting the patriarchal version of the Divine Right of Kings doctrine put forth by Sir Robert Filmer. :Locke singles out Filmer's contention that men are not "naturally fre e" as the key issue, for that is the "ground" or premise on which Filmer erects his argument for the claim that all "legitimate" government is "absolute monarchy." -- kings being descended from the first man Adam. Early in the First Treatise Lo cke denies that either scripture or reason supports Filmer's premise or arguments. In what follows, Locke minutely examines key Biblical passages - so Locke's emphasis in the First Treatise is on refuting Filmer's scriptural claims for the divin e right of kings doctrine. Reason has the subordinate role. TheSecond Treatise provides Locke's positive theory of government - he explicitly says that he must do this "lest men fall into the dangerous belief that "all government in the world is merely the product of force and violence." Locke's accou nt involves...
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