Natural Law And The Preservation Of Human Life - 1301 Words

Natural law and the Preservation of Human Life Donald J. Moore Webster University September 18, 2016 Natural Law and the Preservation of Human Life In order to address the scenarios in this assignment, one must define the when life begins. According to Thomas Aquinas God created the universe and all plants, animals and life of all types under the doctrine of External Law. Based on his vision, God instilled Natural Law in law to fulfill the parameters of External Law. Self-preservation is not only a function of protecting one’s self being, but also by ensuring the species survives. This is accomplished through the second inclination of procreation. Aquinas’ teachings proclaim that God created the universe and by doing so, created all life. So logic must dictate that life begins at conception and that the developing fetus has already been instilled with Natural Law. A young woman who is four months pregnant has recently discovered that she has tuberculosis. The doctor informs her that she must take a drug that will cure her disease, but that the drug will also have the effect of aborting the fetus. There is no other available drug that will cure her disease, and if she does not take the drug immediately she will die. According to natural law, may the young woman take the drug? Both the mother and the fetus are innocent human lives. Even though the fetus may not be capable of understanding, it is still a life and is dependent upon the mother for life. However, the fetusShow MoreRelatedEssay about Comparing Hobbes and Lockes Versions of the Social Contract1349 Words   |  6 PagesLeviathan, claims that peace and unity can best be achieved by setting up a society by having humans agree to a covenant (Hobbes: Ch.18 pg.548). A sovereign who is in charge of protecting the society or state rules Hobbes’s society. In his introduction, Hobbes de scribes this commonwealth as an artificial person and as a body politic that mimics the human body. 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However, this argument does not take into account that although there are cases where people can