Acting in Conscience A Natural Law Based Approach to Freedom of Conscience

The relationship between the authority of conscience and the authority of the state is a perennial issue in both political and ethical philosophy. The extreme emphasis on the authority of the state or conscience leads to the undermining of a free society. This thesis will explore the issues at play in this interaction from the perspective of natural law by exploring the proper domain and orientation of each sphere of authority. It will then demonstrate how the application of natural law principles offers a practical solution to the fraught issue of conscientious objection in a medical context. The solution that the application of natural law offers to this social issue properly respects the freedom of conscience necessary for a free society while allowing for the reasonable limits that governments need to maintain and enact the legal order necessary for a society.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Philosophy

Grantor

University of Saskatchewan

Year dc:date.issued

2023

Author dc:creator

• Smith-Windsor, Gregory Kent

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Liptay, Dr. John J

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Howe, Dr. Leslie A
• Still, Dr. Carl N
• Jenkins, Dr. Ria
• Hrynkow, Dr. Christopher

• Natural Law, Conscience, Law, Medical Ethics, Political, Abortion, Euthanasia

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10388/14650

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:harvest.usask.ca:10388/14650