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Criticisms of Natural Law – KS3 Ethics / Religious Education (RE) / Religious Studies (RS) Lesson (PowerPoint)

Overview:
This fully-resourced KS3 lesson explores the key criticisms of Thomas Aquinas’ Natural Moral Law. Students examine how absolutism, religious bias, and limited consideration of human experience can make Aquinas’ ethical theory difficult to apply in modern society. Through discussion, case studies, and structured writing, students are encouraged to evaluate whether Natural Law is a useful guide for moral decision-making today.
What’s Included:

A 26-slide PowerPoint presentation with structured activities
DO NOW starter quiz to activate prior knowledge
Recap of Aquinas’ Five Primary Precepts and how they lead to secondary rules
Vocabulary development around key terms like Natural Law, morality, ethics, absolutism, precept, and sanctity of life
Case study discussions on abortion, contraception, and religious belief
Structured writing support using PEE (Point, Example, Explain)
A Blue Zone independent writing activity with success criteria, key words, and a challenge question
Model answer for review and improvement
Discussion prompts and MWB tasks to support engagement

Learning Objectives:

Understand the main criticisms of Aquinas’ Natural Moral Law
Explore how absolutism can conflict with real-life moral dilemmas
Reflect on whether religious ethics are relevant in a secular society
Develop extended writing skills through structured response tasks

Target Audience:

Key Stage 3 (KS3) students
Suitable for Year 9 or high-ability Year 8
Can be used as a standalone resource or part of a wider Ethics / Religious Education (RE) / Religious Studies (RS) curriculum