BICADA, HAZEL BSA-2A GEC 108: ETHICS

Is it possible to maintain a natural law theory without believing in the divine source?

Natural law is a theory in ethics and philosophy that says that human beings possess
intrinsic values that govern our reasoning and behaviour. It refers to moral principles common to
most or all human cultures. On the other hand, divine law promulgated by God via revelation. If
you do not believe God, thus, you will not find divine law. Natural law and divine source are not
the same, however, they are connected to each other. They have their own purpose in accordance
to moral life. Therefore, we humans are guided by our human nature to figure out what the laws
are. Everything has a purpose and our purpose is live a happy life.

Humans have a natural drive to do certain things, such as eating and sleeping. These
actions are natural law in order man survive. Thus, any action that helps human to have a right to
life are morally correct because it intended to produce benefits to humans. If we believe that
natural law maintain without believing in the divine source, then, morality, duty and rights make
no sense. It is because things did not only focus to natural law, perhaps, we should not forget that
natural law ultimately comes from God, the one that has care of the entire universe and bring into
existence beings who can act freely and in accordance with principles. God guides human
individuals toward their own good and we human guided with our human nature to figure out
what the laws are. However, we humans do not follow natural law all the time, by that, divine
source exist. And after we realize that our purpose do not violates divine source and natural law
it is the time that we possess happy life. The natural law is part of divine source, which natural
law becomes the way that the human being participates in the eternal law. There are factors that
may affect to humans if we only believe about natural law and without of divine source. Not all
divine law is natural law, and not all natural law is divine law. For instance, there are scenarios
that violates divine source but acceptable to natural law. By that, human may hesitate what they
are doing, if it is good or evil. It is important that natural law and divine source collaborate so
that people may understand what they are doing and what their purpose is. Furthermore, if we
only believe and do natural law or if we possess our intrinsic value all the time that govern our
reasoning and behaviour, there are possibility that we will disregard other people because we
only believe to ourselves. Thus, if we only believe to divine source, also, there are possibilities
that we will forgot our principle in life because we believe that divine source is a will of God and
BICADA, HAZEL BSA-2A GEC 108: ETHICS

the God’s command, knows that those commands are goods and interpret the commands
correctly.

Consequently, I may not say that it is possible to maintain natural law without believing
divine source for the reason that they interconnected to each other and help human individual do
their purpose. Each of them has their own purpose which is a good for human person. If one of
them do not do its purpose there are possibilities that human individual do not do also their
purpose and there are possibility that it can affects to the decision and action of individual. Thus,
human are morally obliged to use their reasoning to discern what the laws are and then to act
inconformity with them.