Natural Law Theory is the view that right actions conform to moral standards discerned in nature through human reasoning Underlying belief that nature is somehow directed towards a particular end teleological Humans achieve this end when they follow their natural inclinations in accordance with Nature s ends natural processes and functions are in accordance with the natural law Implicit assumption that humans are rational beings with the power to receive the workings of nature to correctly disregard the inclinations of humans and to recognize the moral permissibility of their actions Includes both theistic and non theistic beliefs Thomas Aquino s 1225 1274 was a Dominican friar who formed the dominant version of this theory God was the author of all of nature Humans naturally have a duty towards 1 Preserving human life health 2 Producing and raising children 3 Seeking knowledge 4 Cultivating cooperative and social relationships Do good and avoid evil Natural law deposits that all duties are absolute it cannot relies on prima facie principles instead relying on the doctrine of double effect divided into action 1 and action 2 4 tests to determine whether an action is morally permissible 1 The action itself must be morally permissible 2 Causing a bad effect must not be used to obtain a good effect the end does not justify the means 3 Whatever the outcome of an action the intention must be to cause only a good effect the bad effect can be foreseen but never intended 4 The bad effect of an action must not be greater in importance than the good effect If one test is failed then the action would be deemed not morally permissible Rawls Contract Theory is the contractarian view that refers to moral theories based on the idea of some sort of social contract or an agreement amongst individuals for their mutual advantage John Rawls 1921 2002 was an American Philosopher who advocated contractarianism Rawls used the notion of a social contract to generate and defend moral principles governing how members of society should treat one another The original position describes a group of normal self interested rational individuals who come together to choose principles that will determine how to distribute society s benefits and burdens These individuals are suppose to be behind a metaphorical veil of ignorance people don t know their own social or economic status etc and are unencumbered by any kind of bias and are supposed to be equally rational thinkers Rawls argues that s given that the individuals are rational and self interested but ignorant of their own position in that society that they will agree to principles that are going to be advantageous to everyone involved principles will be unbiased and non discriminatory producing just principles