What is Natural Law Ethics?

Summary

Natural law ethics, developed by St. Thomas Aquinas, holds that reason is the source of moral law, guiding humans to do good and avoid evil. Aquinas believed that the 'good' aligns with human nature and is discernible through reason and conscience. He identified three natural human inclinations: self-preservation, just dealing with others, and propagation of the species. Violating these leads to immoral acts. Aquinas also proposed the 'principle of double effect,' addressing moral dilemmas where actions yield both good and bad outcomes, with all conditions needing to be met for an act to be morally right.

Takeaways

• 📜 Natural law ethics, attributed to St. Thomas Aquinas, is also known as 'domestic ethics'.
• 💡 The basic premise of natural law ethics is that reason is the source of moral law, directing individuals toward the good.
• 🌟 According to Aquinas, the good is the ultimate goal of human actions, discoverable within human nature.
• ✔️ An act is morally right if it is done in accordance with a moral law, which is the dictate of reason.
• 🙏 Aquinas ties the moral law to God's eternal law, expressed in human nature as 'do good and avoid evil'.
• 🧭 Conscience, the 'inner voice of reason', guides individuals in making moral decisions in line with the moral law.
• ⚖️ Aquinas identifies three natural human inclinations: self-preservation, justice in dealing with others, and propagation of the species.
• ❌ Violation of any of these natural inclinations leads to actions that disobey conscience and are therefore immoral.
• 🔍 Aquinas emphasizes three determinants of the morality of an act: its object, circumstances, and purpose (end).
• ⚔️ Aquinas' principle of double effect outlines four criteria for determining the morality of actions that produce both good and evil effects.

Q & A

What is natural law ethics?

Natural law ethics is a model of ethics developed by St. Thomas Aquinas during the medieval period. It posits that reason is the source of moral law, guiding individuals toward the good, which aligns with human nature.

Why is natural law ethics also called Thomistic ethics?

Natural law ethics is called Thomistic ethics because it was developed by St. Thomas Aquinas, whose philosophy and teachings form the foundation of this ethical framework.

According to Aquinas, what is 'the good'?

For Aquinas, 'the good' is the ultimate goal of human actions, discoverable within a person's nature. It is what is suitable or proper to human nature and is something that reason leads us toward.

How does Aquinas define moral law?

Aquinas defines moral law as the dictate of reason, which aligns with God's eternal law. It instructs humans to do good and avoid evil, and it is expressed through human nature.

What role does conscience play in natural law ethics?

In natural law ethics, conscience is the inner voice of reason that calls a person to follow the moral law. It serves as a guide in making moral decisions by aligning actions with the good.

What are the three natural inclinations according to Aquinas?

Aquinas identifies three natural inclinations: self-preservation, just dealing with others, and propagation of the human species. These inclinations guide individuals toward actions that align with human nature.

What are some actions Aquinas considers absolutely immoral?

Aquinas considers actions like suicide, exploitation, murder, deception, and acts that frustrate the reproductive purpose, such as masturbation, to be absolutely immoral because they violate the natural inclinations of humans.

What are the three determinants of a moral act according to Aquinas?

The three determinants of a moral act are the object (what is intended), the circumstances (the conditions surrounding the act), and the end (the purpose or goal). All three must be good for the act to be morally right.

What is the principle of double effect, and when does it apply?

The principle of double effect applies when an action produces both good and evil outcomes. It states that the action must be good or morally indifferent, the good effect must occur simultaneously with the evil effect, the evil effect must not be intended, and there must be a sufficient reason for allowing the evil effect.

Can killing a drug lord be justified under Aquinas' ethics?

No, killing a drug lord is not justified under Aquinas' ethics. Even if it produces good effects, such as reducing harm, the act of killing is intrinsically evil and violates the first principle of double effect, making it immoral.