ETHICS: FOUNDATIONS OF MORAL VALUATION

ACTIVITIES CHAPTER 5 (NATURAL LAW)

Instructions: Please do the following activities below.

Read first!!

Post- Truth

We find the lines blurred between fact and fiction, between news reports and
advertisements. We are accustomed to hearing and reading fake news. We are
inundated by figures and statistics that we can barely comprehend, much less confirm.
We are told to consider alternative facts and to not take seriously everything we might
hear our political leaders say. We read and revel in and then repost the most hyperbolic
and hysterical statements without asking ourselves whether we or anyone else should
reasonably maintain this. We are now in the "post-truth" era. This label of "post-truth"
means that we are more and more becoming habituated to disregard or at least to
devalue the truth. It is a tendency to think of truth as insignificant view of other
concerns. This is a significant question in the field of media ethics, as practitioners in
that field-(news reporters, writers, investigative journalists, and advertisers-ought to ask
the question as to what extent the integrity of their work might be compromised in view
of other interests, such as popularity, profit, higher viewership, or stronger sales. Yet,
this issue is not limited to people working in media. It should be recognized as relevant
by anyone who makes use of social media, caught up in statements and exchanges of
dubious worth. It should be considered by anyone who wants to take seriously Aquinas'
claim that reason and a concern for truth are what make us human.

1. Go online and look for an instance of what might be a “fake news”. See whether you
are able to determine the veracity of the news report. Detail your findings and opinion.

 False information travels quicker than the coronavirus itself as the pandemic sweeps
across the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a cautionary
statement on the dangers of harmful information. That’s why, fake news about covid
vaccinations being implanted with microchips started circulating online amid the
pandemic. In addition, these microchips have the ability to modify DNA and track the
position of the person who is being injected. These assertions are definitely fake, as
they are not made by major news organizations around the world. Medical
practitioners, in fact, disputed it by issuing online remarks based on scientific and
medical investigations. They are adamant that no COVID vaccination can contain
microchips or change DNA in any way. When compared to people who distribute
bogus news, I believe that these individuals have more credibility.

2. In view of Aquinas assertion that reason is what makes us uniquely human and that
being reasonable opens up both an epistemic concern for truth and also a social
concern of being in relation with others, provide an assessment on the value or disvalue
of post- truth phenomena such as fake news or alternative facts.
  Post-truth phenomena are of no use to anyone. If the fake news they're spreading is full
of negativity, it could even trigger worry and anxiety. We've progressed to the point
where we have all the resources we need to fact-check any malicious assertion we
come across online. We should not blindly believe everything we hear or be reassured
by alternative truths simply because they are easier to believe in and provide fodder for
conversation. Unless we are willing to be duped, we should only trust reputable sources
that deliver the truth.

3. Consider other topics within the realm of media ethics. Select one and give an initial
presentation of the significance of discussing this topic. Write it down.

 Digital news media includes online journalism, blogging, digital photojournalism,

citizen journalism, and social media. Specifically, Layered Journalism. Layered
journalism combines professional- styled news and analysis with citizen journalism
and interactive chat to create a multi-media offering of professional-styled news and
analysis blended with citizen journalism and interactive discussion. Vertically and
horizontally, the news room will be arranged. It will be the integrated newsroom's
ethics, or the ethics of layered journalism. There will be numerous levels of editorial
jobs vertically. Citizen journalists and bloggers will be there in the newsroom, or will be
closely affiliated with it. From print and broadcast divisions to online production hubs,
the future newsroom will be organized horizontally in terms of the kind of journalism it
provides. Many contributors will be based in different countries. Some will write for
free, while others will be paid freelancers, and yet others will be re-hired.

4. Are there other ways that the word “natural” is used to justify a particular way of
behaving? How do these approaches compare to the theory of Aquinas?

 Well that all depends. If you take the word natural, what does it mean? It means
4the original nature of things, who made the original nature of things?- God did.
God decided who or what went with who or what. Aquinas lived thousands of
years after God made the natural order of things. So if you want to use the word
to means something else, you can do, it changes nothing. The natural order still
remains, a bird does not mate with a fish. So Aquinas was fudging to make his
theories sound better, and remember, they are theories, not fact.

5. Can you think of human laws that are proper extensions of the natural law? Explain
how this is so. Can you think of other human laws that violate the natural law? Explain
how this is so.

 All laws that have remained over time are extensions of natural law. Even the Bible says
this. Laws that do not follow this order are discredited and always fall sometimes with
greatviolence.
6. Are there other forms of harm- short of killing another person- that may be taken as a
violation of the natural inclination to preserve one’s being? Justify your answer.
 Violence is just a way to achieve instrumental goals, for example killing rival heirs is
sometimes a good idea if you want to be king. Whether it’s fighting among brothers or
between nations these rational choice models predict that the likelihood of violence
increases when its benefits go up or its costs go down. But once again we find
ourselves with a puzzle People frequently resort to violence when by any measure of
practical utility, non-violent means would be more effective.

7. Are there current scientific developments- for example, in biology-that challenge the
understanding of nature presented by Aquinas?

 Aquinas lived at a time when the knowledge and understanding of nature was very
limited. Aquinas was a theological philosopher who believed that nature and human
behavior were ruled by spirits. He was under the illusion that faith in a myth gave
understanding: “To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without
faith, no explanation is possible.” Yet, those who claim to have faith in a god, any god,
have nothing to show for it.

8. Is it possible to maintain a natural law theory without believing in the divine source?
Why or why not?

 Natural law is the universal standard that directly reflects human nature. It is true
regardless of cultural influences. The problem is that mankind is unable to agree on
the definition of natural law. The problem is not so much the confidence that there is a
moral law, but rather in our knowledge of it. It is essentially an epistemological
problem. This means that we can only know the perfect standard with divine source of
revelation.