Name: Febee Grace M.

Gamboa

Course & Section: 3 BSE-B

1. What is Natural Law in Ethics?

-Natural law is the term used to describe the laws that are inherent to life itself and, as a
result, are usually known by all members of all groups and culture. Every human possesses
natural law; it is almost innate. The moral rule comes from “REASON”, which also guides us
in the direction of the “GOOD”. It dictates us what we ought to do and not do. The goal of a
person’s acts according to Aquinas who developed the model of ethics is to do “GOOD”.

2. What counts as morally right in Natural Law? Give an example.

-Natural law’s “Three Determinants of Moral Acts” and “Four Principles of Double Effect”
add up to an explanation of what is morally right. First determinant of moral act is the Act
itself or the object of the act. The second is the Circumstance or the factors influencing the
morality of the action. And the End or the doer’s motive; this is what the act is intended to
achieve. For the principles of double effect, first is the action must be good itself or at least
morally indifferent. Second, either the good and evil effects must occur at the same time, or
the good effect must come after the action at least as soon as the evil effect. Third, the evil
effect should then not be intended or approved rather, it should just be allowed to happen.
Lastly, when doing the action, there must be a reasonable and sufficient cause to permit the
evil effect to happen. For an example, you caught your student cheating in an exam. As a
discipline, you called his parents with him and discuss what he has done and then fail him
on his exam so the next time he takes an exam, he will learn not to cheat. The first principle
is met because disciplining a child’s wrong doing is good in itself. We also met the second
principle because the good effect that is he’ll learn from his mistake follows the action
immediately. And even he failed his exam, at least this evil effect occurs simultaneously
with a good effect. Third principle is also satisfied because the failing of his exam was not
intended, it only happens because it is the only way of disciplining the child. And lastly,
fourth principle is met because it is reasonable to allow the evil effect to happen. Because if
the teacher won’t punish the child as hard as failing the exam, the child might not learn not
to cheat.