Natural law is one of the theories that assist in ethical decision making in humans’ day to day life. It is founded on human reasoning and perception of what is acceptable in nature to ensure harmonious co-existence of the living beings in a given environment. It embarks on a search for a common ground without relying on external forces to know what is good or wrong. One reason for choosing this theory is that it does not have specific principles or models of behavior to guide one into making a final decision in alignment with an issue at hand. The rationality of the individual(s) involved in a given context is of concern as it acts as the determinant of the decision arrived at and the consequences thereafter.
According to Pope (n.d.), natural law is a theory of nature and has various meanings in the ancient and contemporary contexts. The ancient context associates natural law with actions that are most noble and best for human nature. The contemporary context is different as it takes into consideration the philosophical and scientific views. Both views have different meanings for the natural law. As such, defining natural law, particularly its ethical application, in the contemporary context is a major challenge.
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The applicability of natural law finds solace in humans’ intellect. Of all living beings, it is only humans that have the power to reason and reach a workable solution to a problem or challenge. Thomas Aquinas distinguished between speculative and practical intellect by stating that the former embarks on truth for the sake of it while the latter focuses on an appropriate action based on what is known (Pope, n.d.). Natural law promotes the premise that one should embark on doing good and avoiding evil. This is the foundation of moral conduct.
Naturalistic law theorists propose that there is a predetermined natural order of existence that should be followed. The theory is absolute in that it is not founded on duty or a list of external rules that must be imposed on individuals. Instead, the theory of natural law relies on the nature of humans and a search for authentic gratitude and fulfillment ( Natural Law Ethics, n.d.). All natural moral law theorists agree that the basic good to pursue in life is self-preservation and that the laws of nature act as the most fundamental guide to this good. In essence, any action or reasoning that aligns with the notion of self-preservation is morally right and acceptable. To think otherwise, is wrong ( Natural Law Ethics, n.d.). For instance, it is acceptable and right for humans to eat in order to continue living. Any action or undertaking that goes against the accomplishment of the humans’ desire to eat is, therefore, morally wrong and unacceptable.
Based on the notion of practical rationality, Aquinas posits that the premises of the natural law are universally obvious and necessitated by nature ( Natural Law Ethics, n.d.). The theory of natural law holds that there are some things that are naturally and universally good and, therefore, could shape human actions in various situations. Hobbes embraces a subjective view of the natural law by stating that one quality that defines something as good is its desirability or likability (Murphy, 2011). He further claims that despite variations in humans’ desire under various contexts, their commonness in physiological making yields common desires that can be utilized in reaching a decision with an aim to accomplish a common purpose in alignment with self-preservation (Murphy, 2011).
Aristotle rejects subjectivism in natural law by proposing that good cannot be likened to what is desirable. To him, something is good if it is perfective or enhances a feeling of completeness depending on the nature of the being under question. In essence, what is good for a human is what makes that human feel complete or perfect and this is largely determined by what a human is by nature. As such, the notion of desire and its variability is not adequate and, therefore, leaves unanswered questions in alignment with what is universally good and acceptable (Murphy, 2011). This argument gains support from several other theorists of natural law, including Aquinas.
The platonic view of natural law also rejects subjectivism but does not support human nature as the determinant of what is good. Plato posits that human nature does not define what is good but rather the probabilities of human accomplishments. As such, some things, such as knowledge, are just good by themselves without considering other aspects, such as human desire or perfection. To Plato, pursuit of such things is only part of natural law as they fall within the continuum of humans’ possibilities.
Personal Position of the Natural Law
One reason for choosing this theory is its foundation not on a specific premise but various propositions. The theory is inexhaustible as various theorists hold differing viewpoints. Some consider “good” as subjective. Others view it as objective and absolute. There is much that can be learnt from an exploration of these viewpoints and several others that are not covered herein.
In my personal opinion, natural law provides one of the best approaches of consideration in ethical decision making. The notion of self-preservation as a precursor for actions is particularly significant. The universality of what is good is the strength of this theory. While reasoning is the key to reaching an appropriate decision, it is clear that this theory can easily be applied by anyone and in essence it is applied on a day to day basis of human life. Though there may be extrinsic effect in defining what is good in the face of a human being, human instincts play a role in forbidding various actions. It is in human nature to utilize intrinsic drive in defining what is good for others. Natural law is evident in various occurrences in life, including child-play. One experiences some children depicting anger and frustration when that which is good to them is violated by others. It is then upon the playmates to compensate by doing what the child expected to restore the jovial mood that is critical for all of them.
References
Murphy, M. (2011). The natural law tradition in ethics. In E. N. Zalta (Ed.) The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved from https://plato.stanford.edu on 29/7/2017
Natural Law Ethics (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www3.sympatico.ca/saburns/pg0405a02.htm
Pope, Stephen (n.d.). Reason and natural law. Retrieved from https://www.bc.edu/content/dam/files/centers/boisi/pdf/f09/Pope_Reason_and_Natural_Law.pdf on 29/7/2017
