Moral Law Strength

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Natural moral law is a deontological, deductive ethical theory that is universally applicable and can be used in various situations despite an ever changing society. By definition, it is concerned with the moral law of how human beings should behave. It is understood by reflecting on human nature and rationally working out what leads to happiness. Therefore, certain elements of the theory descend into utilitarianism. Natural moral law provides a way of life that is intellectually appealing and somewhat empirically verifiable. Medieval philosopher Aquinas merged together Christian ethics, which was guided by religious authority from the Bible and the Church, and Aristotle’s more secular ideas concerning a rational code for morality.
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The principals involved in NML remain the same, regardless of the situation. These become universal norms that can be used by people from all walks of life. As an absolutist system, NML enables people to establish common rules. The commonality of rules is essential if we strive to live effectively in communities and coexist with other humans with different cultures or religious beliefs. Many societies around the world share common beliefs about morality showing there is evidence of a common system of morality in place and the absolutist strength of NML to be in effect. However, some critics of NML would oppose the assumption of a common system of morality as there are places where things that we would consider horrific are acceptable. An example of this is the ‘Anti Homosexuality Act’, 2014 (currently not passed, as of yet) in Uganda which subjects homosexuals to death if incriminated. Nevertheless, under international law, most parts of Western society would condemn the killing of homosexuals as group of people and many human rights organisations such as Amnesty International and Christian groups have spoken out against the bill. This exemplifies that across the globe, the mass killing of a group of people is criticised despite cultural and religious

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