Present and discuss the moral positions of Natural Law and Essay

Present and discuss the moral positions of Natural Law and Existentialism. Next evaluate the theories and discuss any relevant criticisms - Essay Example The same rationale continues that the right action is that which corresponds non-defectively with the good on the one hand. On the other hand, existential ethics places the individual as the primary point of concern and therefore, postulates that personal ethics and morality supersede popular ethics and social morality. The main underpinning of this ideological standpoint is existentialists’ belief in subjectivity of truth. In its bare form, existentialism is a cultural and philosophical movement which asserts that the genesis of philosophical thinking is individual experience and that scientific and moral thinking are insufficient in understanding human experience (Finnis, 32). Natural law has its strength being readily manifest in the complementary relationship between the law and morality. The law and natural law are seen to merge, since like the law, natural law becomes morally binding if it is just, able to be promulgated, directional towards common good, is made by someone holding appropriate authority and is reasonable. For instance, there can be no law that decriminalises any form of stealing or crimes against humanity since acts that bring about these crimes do not meet the qualities of natural law such as being geared towards common good. Secondly, the strength of natural law is seen in the fact that it supersedes the law, generatively. The fact that natural law is naturally knowable by all humans, with the good anteceding the right and comprising people’s natural and common ends makes the legislation against crime possible (Pearce, 1339). At its best, existentialism only fosters tolerance and at its worst, remains ultimately impractical. By saying that individual experience is the starting point in encountering the truth and that scientific and moral thinking are insufficient in understanding human experience, existentialists leave no room for the judgment of another person’s actions. However, existentialist ethics