Which theory holds that right actions conform to moral standards discerned in nature through human reason?

• A. A moral theory focusing on duties to follow universal law
• B. A theory based on social contracts
• C. The view that right actions are those that conform to moral standards discerned in nature through human reason
• D. A theory that emphasizes virtue development

Answer: (C)

Right actions conform to moral standards that are part of nature and can be discovered through human reason. This is natural law theory, which holds there’s an objective moral order built into the world and human nature, accessible by rational reflection. From this perspective, there are basic goods and ends—like life, reproduction, social living, and knowledge—that illuminate what counts as right or wrong; actions that undermine these natural ends violate the moral order.

The other frameworks describe different bases for morality: a duty-based system that emphasizes universal laws comes from Kantian ethics, focusing on whether an action could be willed as a universal law rather than whether it aligns with natural ends. Social contract theory grounds morality in agreements among people for cooperative living, not in nature’s order. Virtue ethics centers on developing virtuous character, rather than conforming to objective standards discerned in nature.