Finnis' basic goods and the requirements of practical reasonableness

Overview

Recall questions on whose theory he develops, why the goods are self-evident, avoiding the is-ought move, theoretical against practical reason, arbitrary preference, efficiency, community, conscience and authority.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   Whose ethical theory does John Finnis set out to develop?

   Model answer

   He develops Aquinas' Natural Law, restating it so that its starting points do not depend on first proving an account of human nature.

2. 2

   Name the seven basic human goods identified by Finnis.

   Model answer

   They are life, knowledge, friendship, play, aesthetic experience, practical reasonableness and religion.

3. 3

   What does Finnis mean by calling these goods basic?

   Model answer

   Each is worth pursuing for its own sake, none can be reduced to any other, and no permanent ranking places one above the rest.

4. 4

   Why does Finnis hold that the basic goods are self-evident?

   Model answer

   The basic goods are grasped directly by practical reason as obviously worth having, rather than being deduced from facts about the world.

5. 5

   How does Finnis' account of the goods avoid deriving an ought from an is?

   Model answer

   The goods are first principles of practical reason, already evaluative, so no move is made from a factual premise to a moral conclusion.

6. 6

   Distinguish theoretical reason from practical reason.

   Model answer

   Theoretical reason works out what is the case, while practical reason works out what is to be done.

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