What is Natural Law and
What does Natural Law have to do with Family Violence?
Philosophers, Physicians, Politicians, Warriors, Planners, Theologians and other Leaders discovered (or realized) the concept of Natural Law a very long time ago.
Another part of Natural Law includes the idea of helping others to Survive and nurturing their Growth as well.
Natural Law is largely about the following values / virtues being shared among Humans. These include: Respect, Honesty, Trust, Altruism, Survivorship, Service to Selves, Service to Others and Service to our Communities, Stamina, Love, Forgiveness, Acceptance, Strength, Fortitude, Character , Sacrifice for the greater good, Humility, Hope, Charity, Faithfulness and other qualities as well.
"Natural law is an ethical theory that claims that humans are born with a certain moral compass that guides behaviors. These inherited rules essentially distinguish the "rights" and "wrongs" in life. Under natural law, everyone is afforded the same rights, such as the right to live and the right to happiness" (Source).
Simply put: Dr. B. Proposes that Family Violence (DV, Child Abuse, Animal Abuse and Neglect are Unnatural.) Hence, if we follow Natural Law, then we will not be committing Domestic Violence.
Some say that Natural Law is about Discovering Right versus Wrong, instead of Inventing what is Right versus What is Wrong. What's the difference? We are thought to have essentially been born with the potential to develop wisdom to know Good from Evil. We Discover these things as we grow. However, we do not Invent Good or Evil.
Although our Basic Rights are set forth in the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution and the Bill of Rights were clearly written by men and women who were inspired by Natural Law; Natural law should not be confused with American law, religious law, scientific laws, or the laws of the jungle.
In a way, In the USA, Our Rights come from Natural Law. And Our Laws come from our Rights. Natural Law has been a significant part of the USA since the beginning.
Throughout Humanity for millennia, we as Humans have probably felt commanded by our conscience to do not harm... and to care for the young, the poor, the sick, the disabled, and the frail elderly as well.
Theoretically, Natural Law assumes we all have a sense of morality (eg., A sense of what is Right and what is Wrong) from what all humans have in common.
For example, Victor Frankel, a Concentration Camp Survivor postulated that Natural law inspires us to have Meaning and Purpose... Natural law will remind us that we -- as Human Beings -- have a purpose (Source).
Further, Natural Law suggests that we are all following our higher nature when we follow natural law. "Natural Law theory posits that by adhering to its principles, humans are essentially acting in accordance with their inherent, "higher" nature, which is understood as a set of universal moral values accessible through reason and embedded within human beings themselves" (Source).
One might assume from that that we all have Good Nature. And that we are all capable of being "Good Natured."
"Good-natured" means having or showing a pleasant, kindly disposition, and can also imply cheerfulness or helpfulness. Good-natured people are often characterized by being patient, tolerant, and forgiving, and are not easily angered or frustrated. They are also often described as being "laid-back" (Source).
In Nature, humans share a great deal: We all drink water, We all have desires, We all have a drive to survive and for the most part, we all have hope. Under almost any circumstance; whether conscious, unconscious, infant or elderly frail, every human being seems to have a will to try and survive whether it's by simply breathing and taking in fluids or actively feasting at the banquet of life.
NATURAL LAW AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE:
Today's discussion is about the comparison of modern day domestic violence related thought and an ancient concept known to human beings as "natural law."
Natural law is largely about human beings reaching there positive potential and about human beings enabling themselves and each other to reach their highest possible level of achievement, happiness, contentment; all the things that they would reach naturally were they not impeded by all the negative energy that exists between people and in far too many so-called relationships.
If domestic violence includes physical, emotional, verbal, social, digital, sexual, and economic violence towards one person from another then please tell me what types of domestic violence conform with natural law?
Is it natural for two adult human beings who say they love each other to cut each other down, to call each other names, to lie to each other, to spy on each other, to cheat each other out of possessions and time, or to put each other down, to talk badly about each other, to make each other feel bad with guilt over things nobody could help or prevent, to dominate each other, or to be manipulative and passively aggressively hurtful to each other?
Is it natural for two human beings to want to make each other cry, to want to hurt each other, and want to put each other in a position where they have pain?
Is it natural for two adults who claim to be a couple, to lie to each other, to mistrust each other, to trick each other, to prevent each other from having things that each other likes and wants, to be envious of each other, or to hold resentment toward each other?
Finally, is it natural for two human beings to hit each other, to want to beat each other physically, to physically intimidate each other, to embarrass each other, to physically dominate each other, too want to kill each other, to rape each other, to keep each other's children away from the other, or to talk badly about each other to other people including to the children?
Is any of this Natural?
The evidence that these behaviors (above) go against Natural Law is in the answer to the following question(s)?
- How do any of these behaviors (above) help anyone involved feel better about themselves?
- How do any of these behaviors (above) help improve the lives of anyone involved?
- How did any of the behaviors (above) help our children to grow up to be healthier and happier?
- How do any of the behaviors (above) make our physical, emotional, economic or social habitat any better?
- How did any of these behaviors (above) help improve the Human Condition?
So, if we are NOT supposed to do the Bad things; What are the Good Things:
In short: Prevention of all Family Violence (or Domestic Violence) is an essential task in Human Nature. Why? Because the more DV there is; the more likely people will lives shorter, more miserable, less productive and less fulfilling lives. The more DV there is; the less likely people will make a positive difference in their own lives, their families, the communities and Society as a whole. Finally, the more DV there is, the more likely the Violence and Disrespect will continue from generation to generation until it infects all of Humanity and creates a Violent World where Safety simply does not exist anywhere.
St. Thomas Aquinas wrote: "The master principle of natural law, was that "good is to be done and pursued and evil avoided." Aquinas stated that reason reveals particular natural laws that are good for humans such as self-preservation, marriage and family, and the desire to know God" (Or a Higher Power whether it be Spiritual or Rational in Nature).
Some basic goods according to Natural Law include items such as life and health, knowledge, work and play, the appreciation of beauty, friendship, and religion.
"For Finnis, there are seven basic goods; life, knowledge, sociability of friendship, play, aesthetic experience, practical reasonableness and religion. Life involves all aspects of vitality that enable a person to gain strong willpower." (Source).
"In natural law, a good person does what they think will bring them good and avoid what they think is bad. This is a basic tenant of natural law, as articulated by Thomas Aquinas, who believed that what is good and evil is derived from human reason." (Source).
"According to the natural law theory, what makes someone a good person is their ability to fulfill their true nature and obey moral laws derived from nature or God's commands." (Source).
On the other hand, AI says: "According to natural law theory, a good person is someone who fulfills their true nature by acting in accordance with the inherent moral principles embedded within human nature, not simply by obeying the laws of the land, as the "true nature" aspect is considered more fundamental to the theory" (Source).
Follow the attached Audio/Video for more about Natural Law:
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