4. The Natural Law Theory

 

     According to Thomas Aquinas there are seven basic goods that we as humans and living things seek

                                                             i.      Life

                                                          ii.      Reproduction

                                                       iii.      Educate one’s offspring

                                                       iv.      Seek God

                                                          v.      Live in society

                                                       vi.      avoid offense

                                                    vii.      Shun ignorance

For each basic good, there is a prohibition (for "life," there is 'do not kill'). Corresponding to that prohibition, there is a positive injunction (for "do not kill" there is 'promote life').

 

Morality comes from us, but only because we were made by God, thus preloaded with characteristics that God wants us to have.

 

The basic assumption of Natural Law theory is that God created us to seek the 'good,' i.e., the seven 'good things' listed above. In order to figure out what to do, we take a basic good, and then we use reason to figure out how to best promote that good. Just like in Divine Command, Natural Law Theory solves the grounding problem. Both theories are founded on God. God created us and morality; God gave us these goods and a guide to promoting them. Both theories have problems. The problem with Natural Law theory is, first, that we don't always follow it. Sometimes we are willfully ignorant, or we use contraception. For Aquinas, this blatant disregard for The Natural Law comes from ignorance and emotion. Sometimes we are simply confused. But another big problem with Natural Law is that it assumes that you can go from is to ought. Natural Law assumes that just because we are naturally inclined to act in a certain way means that it is ethical for us to act in that way. This problematic example –

 

1.    My drive to live might cause me to kill you and eat your face. In that case, the drive to live may cause me to harm someone.

2.    This opens the door to other questions,

a.     Is it moral to have sex without consent because the drive to reproduce is calling?

b.    Should you only marry individuals that can reproduce?