SAMPLE Ethics in America

‭Chapter 3:‬ ‭Theory of Natural and Moral Law‬ ‭A. Natural Law‬ ‭When‬ ‭people‬ ‭talk‬ ‭about‬ ‭human‬ ‭rights,‬ ‭they‬ ‭mean‬ ‭rights‬ ‭that‬ ‭they‬ ‭believe‬ ‭that‬ ‭all‬ ‭human‬ ‭beings,‬ ‭regardless‬ ‭of‬ ‭the‬ ‭rules‬ ‭of‬ ‭their‬‭respective‬‭societies‬‭or‬‭governments,‬‭are‬‭entitled‬‭to‬‭enjoy.‬‭These‬‭rights‬ ‭are‬‭things‬‭that‬‭are‬‭essential‬‭for‬‭functioning‬‭well‬‭as‬‭a‬‭human‬‭being.‬‭According‬‭to‬‭the‬‭1948‬‭United‬‭Nations‬ ‭Declaration‬ ‭of‬ ‭Human‬ ‭Rights,‬ ‭general‬ ‭welfare‬‭needs,‬‭including‬‭food,‬‭clothing,‬‭shelter,‬‭and‬‭security‬‭are‬ ‭basic‬ ‭human‬ ‭rights.‬ ‭We‬ ‭also‬‭have‬‭the‬‭phrase‬‭“crimes‬‭against‬‭humanity,”‬‭which‬‭was‬‭used‬‭to‬‭prosecute‬ ‭Nazi‬ ‭war‬ ‭criminals‬ ‭at‬ ‭Nuremburg.‬ ‭This‬ ‭concept‬ ‭assumes‬ ‭a‬ ‭moral‬ ‭law‬ ‭that‬ ‭supersedes‬ ‭any‬ ‭law‬‭of‬‭any‬ ‭government.‬‭Most‬‭people‬‭will‬‭agree‬‭that‬‭there‬‭are‬‭certain‬‭things‬‭people‬‭should‬‭not‬‭do‬‭to‬‭other‬‭people,‬ ‭such as murder. However, not everyone agrees about what basic human rights are.‬

‭The‬ ‭idea‬ ‭of‬ ‭human‬ ‭rights‬ ‭is‬ ‭rooted‬ ‭in‬ ‭the‬ ‭theory‬ ‭of‬ ‭Natural‬ ‭Law‬ ‭.‬ ‭Aristotle‬ ‭formulated‬ ‭the‬ ‭theory‬ ‭of‬ ‭Natural‬‭Law‬‭through‬‭observing‬‭order‬‭in‬‭nature.‬‭Aristotle‬‭observed‬‭that‬‭nature‬‭always‬‭followed‬‭the‬‭same‬ ‭path.‬ ‭An‬ ‭acorn‬‭always‬‭grew‬‭into‬‭an‬‭oak,‬‭instead‬‭of‬‭a‬‭pine‬‭or‬‭an‬‭elm.‬‭A‬‭tadpole‬‭always‬‭grew‬‭into‬‭a‬‭frog‬ ‭instead‬‭of‬‭a‬‭cow‬‭or‬‭a‬‭bird.‬‭The‬‭end‬‭goal‬‭or‬‭purpose‬‭of‬‭the‬‭process‬‭is‬‭to‬‭be‬‭the‬‭best‬‭oak‬‭or‬‭frog‬‭it‬‭can‬‭be.‬ ‭Aristotle‬‭posited‬‭“the‬‭good‬‭is‬‭that‬‭at‬‭which‬‭all‬‭things‬‭aim.”‬‭The‬‭good‬‭of‬‭the‬‭musician‬‭is‬‭to‬‭make‬‭music.‬ ‭The‬ ‭good‬ ‭of‬ ‭the‬ ‭shipbuilder‬ ‭is‬ ‭to‬ ‭build‬ ‭ships.‬ ‭The‬ ‭good‬ ‭of‬ ‭a‬ ‭human‬‭being,‬‭therefore,‬‭is‬‭perfecting‬‭the‬ ‭characteristics‬‭specific‬‭to‬‭being‬‭human.‬‭That‬‭which‬‭makes‬‭humans‬‭unique‬‭from‬‭seeds‬‭and‬‭animals‬‭is‬‭a‬ ‭rational‬‭element‬ ‭,‬‭which‬ ‭allows‬‭humans‬‭to‬‭know‬‭the‬‭world‬‭and‬‭the‬‭truth,‬‭and‬‭to‬‭guide‬‭choice‬‭and‬‭action.‬ ‭Aristotle‬ ‭recognized‬ ‭that‬ ‭humans‬ ‭could‬ ‭choose‬ ‭to‬‭do‬‭what‬‭is‬‭their‬‭good‬‭or‬‭act‬‭against‬‭it.‬‭He‬‭theorized‬ ‭that‬‭when‬‭humans‬‭use‬‭their‬‭rational‬‭element‬‭to‬‭perfect‬‭their‬‭capacities‬‭and‬‭abilities,‬‭they‬‭function‬‭well‬

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