What are the most important senses of the words “nature” and “natural” for Mill?
-The nature of a thing means its entire capacity or exhibiting phenomena
- Natural means what is inherent to us as human beings
-morality is a sense of what ought to be
· How is nature related to morality? Summarize Mill’s view of the relationship of nature to morality.
-mill says no real relationship and nature is immoral because it can’t make rational decisions it’s random
-ex. nature just “is” self indulgence is nature while self control is taught
· How might one reply to Mill’s criticism to defend the moral relevance of nature?
-the nature of people to be moral*****
· What sort of view of the relationship of nature and morality does Hume’s question rule out?
-rules out what is and what is not
What are Hart’s main objections to natural law? Note: there are more than one.
-no connection between natural law and moral goodness
-nature law leaves for no improvement for laws
· Do you agree with them? Try and precisely formulate your view, whatever it is.
· What does he mean by the “minimum content of natural law”?
-1. mortal 2. not everyone is a killer we all strive for survival 3. we have a sense of moral and legal obligations toward each other. we’re not angels nor are we devils 4. limited resources which gives birth to a property system.
-we are tempted to break moral obligations so we established a justice and punishment system
-each natural law gives birth to something else
What is Aquinas’s basic definition of law?
-Law is "a certain rule and measure of acts whereby man is induced to act or is restrained from acting." (q90, a1)
· Do all the elements of the definition hold for all four types of law?
Natural- Yes, you cannot act outside your own nature.
Divine-Yes, induced to act certain way for eternal happiness.
Human-Yes,humans are induced to act certain way by threat of punishment
Eternal- Yes, because you cannot want anything besides complete happiness, which is God.
· What is Aquinas’s basic definition of the natural law?
-natural law- decided by community. rational creatures’ participation in eternal law. subset of eternal law