Research Paper Why Gay Marriage should be banned Moral Argument Essay

Research Paper Why Gay Marriage should be banned Moral Argument - Essay Example sary in this conflict is a new arsenal of weaponry: one which neither relies upon the rejection of natural law nor upon steadfast religious conservatism. The problem regarding the latter is that it cannot provide the justification needed, in argument, to prove the incorrectness of the opposite side’s view. That is, religious arguments against same-sex marriage are mere opinion, or, as Plato called it: doxa (Bourdieu). The problem regarding the former—a rejection of natural law—will be dealt with later on. So, instead of relying on old and tried arguments, this discussion will hope to achieve consensus with a new account of why such marriage rites are morally reprehensible—an account which does not rely on any theological groundwork. The hope will be to use a theory of natural law, one which dates back over two millennia, to prove that there is no â€Å"natural goodness† inherent in same-sex marriage. This entails a detailed examination of reality to determine the metaphysical truth on which we will ground moral claims and establish them as irrefutable. In the end, it shall be proven beyond a reasonable doubt that same-sex marriage violates natural law—a moral theory based on the dictates of reality—and must not be allowed. Firstly, however, an account of the natural law tradition is necessary. â€Å"Natural law theory†, indeed, has been labeled on a variety of theories of civil law, theories of ethics (both religious and secular), and theories of politics. The focus here, of course, will be on natural law theories of secular ethics, and although the discussion will involve St. Thomas Aquinas, none of Aquinas’ metaphysical (or theological) views shall be considered. Knowing this, the thesis of natural law theory in ethics is that natural law makes the foundational principles of practical rationality for mankind, and it possesses such status by nature. The thought that natural law creates the foundational principles of practical rationality implies that