1. NML: Telos

Question 1

St Thomas Aquinas sought to give Catholicism….

Answer 1

a logical order and structure that it previously lacked.

Question 2

St Thomas Aquinas’ philosophy is based on

Answer 2

the Bible and Aristotle.

Question 3

Why does Aquinas believe natural laws exist?

Answer 3

A God who is omnibenevolent created a perfect world to mirror his love and goodness.
The world may have fallen because of original Sin, but the divine law and moral laws are still rooted in creation.
- ‘God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.’

Question 4

Different beliefs on God - Aristotle vs Aquinas

Answer 4

For Aristotle there is a Prime Mover is the efficient cause of change which actualises the potential in everything else.
The prime mover must have no potential as it is ‘fully actualised’ or ‘pure actuality’ with no potential to be changed or acted upon.

According to Aristotle, the Prime Mover is a necessary being that is responsible for setting the universe in motion and sustaining its existence, it was the first of all substances.
But it does not cause movement physically - instead it just attracts things towards it.
It does nothing but - It is also the final cause of all things in the universe and the efficient cause of change.
G.Hughes - used the analogy of a bowl of milk being the unchanging prime mover and a cat being the universe.

The Prime mover is ‘wholly simple’

It is not subject to the laws of physics or the natural world, but rather exists outside of it as a perfect and transcendent being.

Aquinas believed that God created the universe.
Creation is good and reveals God’s goodness. This is true of everything.

1. The Bible teaches that God created the universe with an order.
2. Everything has a reason for being and is created to reveal God’s goodness.
3. The moral laws built into the universe regulate everything and the natural moral laws reveal something of God’s nature and goodness.

According to Aquinas, this means that God, from whom everything else is created, “contains within Himself the whole perfection of being”

Question 5

Different beliefs in heaven Aristotle + Aquinas

Answer 5

Aristotle = Eudaimonia (in Greek this means happiness/ flourishing) is the final end for Aristotle. This is the contentment that is felt when something achieves its purpose. The final end of man is to be happy, wealthy and wise.
“The good of man is the active exercise of his soul’s faculties in conformity with excellence or virtue”

Aquinas viewed eudaimonia as being in union with God - heaven
Only those who love God and follow God’s Natural Law will achieve eudaimonia, hell waits for those who don’t.
- The summun bonum - The Highest Good - Union with the divine

Question 6

According to Aquinas - what is out CHN

Answer 6

That was to want to reason, make moral decisions by working out the NMLs and pursue happiness .
this is to help humans achieve their CHP

Question 7

How solid was NML for aquinas

Answer 7

Just as there are Natural Laws in the world e.g The law of gravity which never changes, he believed that there were Natural Moral Laws which never change.

Question 8

what is the main message that NML teaches

Answer 8

everything God made has a purpose, including every aspect of human life (similar to Aristotles belief that everything has a final cause).

Question 9

how can we work out our CHP

Answer 9

God has decided what the human purpose is and if humans study their bodies and minds (their common nature)

and how God has designed them (Aristotle’s use of empiricism), then they can work out what their purpose is.

Question 10

For Aquinas - what is our common human purpose?

Answer 10

fulfil CHN + Achieving the SB

Question 11

Was Aquinas a rationalist or an empiricist

Answer 11

well he was a bit of both
we use empirical observation to find our CHN and then reason to find out our CHP / Natural Law.

Question 12

what are our purposes - who made them?

Answer 12

Humans have been designed with these purposes in mind by God.
These are our telos/purposes

which are the 5 primary precepts of NML which are

Each is also supported by Bible.

They are: (POWER)

1. Preservation of the self and the species 
2. To live in an Ordered society 
3. Worship God 
    4. Educate
5. Reproduction

Question 13

5 primary precepts and how they were derived from our CHN

Answer 13

1. Preservation of the self and the species ( Derived from CHN-we all have beating hearts, Revelation from the bible - ‘Do not kill’
   
   2. To live in an Ordered society ( Human’s naturally gravitate towards living in groups: The bible reveals ethical standards such as do not steal, lie…)
   3. Worship God ( Derived from CHN- having the ability to conceive of God; Revelations in the Bible- Love thy neighbour and love God)
   4. Educate ( we have functioning brains, Jesus educated his disciples)
   5. Reproduction (reproductive organs: Bible God commands Adan and Eve ~Go forth and multiply)

Question 14

Features of NML

Answer 14

• Absolutist and Deontological
  
  • Natural Law exists within the purpose of nature, created by God
  • Natural law affects all aspects of human behaviour ‘because man needs to be directed to his supernatural end in a higher way’
• ‘good is to be done and pursued and evil is to be avoided’

Question 15

Strengths of scripture

Answer 15

1. Spiritual and Moral Guidance:
   * “The Bible is a compass that points us toward the divine and provides guidance for our moral and spiritual lives.” - Pope Francis
2. Wisdom and Universal Truths:
   * “The scriptures contain timeless wisdom that transcends cultural and historical contexts” - Thomas Merton
3. Historical and Cultural Significance:
   * “The Bible is a significant historical document that provides valuable insight” - Karen Armstrong
4. Literary and Artistic Beauty:
   * “The scriptures are a masterpiece of literature” - C.S. Lewis
5. Community and Faith Formation:
6. “scriptures offer believers a sacred text that deepens their relationship with the divine, fostering a sense of belonging, purpose, and hope within religious traditions.” - Pope Benedict XVI

Question 16

Weaknesses of scripture (5)

Answer 16

1. Scriptures were written by multiple authors over centuries, and there are inconsistencies and contradictions in the texts.

2.. Certain moral and ethical teachings within religious texts, including the Bible, are outdated or problematic in contemporary society. They point out instances of violence, intolerance, or discriminatory passages that conflict with modern moral values, such as gender equality or LGBTQ+ rights.
“We cannot simply read the Bible as a moral rulebook without critically engaging with its teachings in light of our contemporary ethical insights.” - Peter Enns

3.. Interpretation and translation issues may arise, leading to differing understandings and potential misinterpretations. “To understand scripture, we must first seek to understand the historical and cultural context in which it was written.” - Karen Armstrong

4. Certain passages conflict with established scientific knowledge or historical evidence, leading to tensions between religious teachings and empirical findings.
5. Scripture interpretation is subjective and influenced by cultural, theological, and personal biases. This subjectivity can lead to disagreements and the potential for misrepresentation of scripture.
   “Scripture is a living text that speaks to us in different ways” - Richard Rohr

Question 17

How did Aquinas develop Aristotle’s view of telos

Answer 17

Aquinas’s development of Aristotle’s teleology gave the universe a natural order and structure.
God is shown to be the creator of a logical and beautifully crafted scheme of things.
Aquinas taught that the universe was created with order and purpose.

Question 18

how does Aquinas make use of Aristotle’s empiricism

Answer 18

For Aristotle we make observations from the world and Aquinas borrowed this idea by observing common human nature.
Aquinas didn’t want faith to be replaced with reason in his resurgence of Aristotelian ideas and so he stressed the bible (unlike Aristotle.)

Question 19

Aquinas and Aristotle different views on telos of the universe

Answer 19

Aristotle = all things have a telos therefore the universe must have a telos . It is aiming towards a final cause which must be fully actual and attracts everything towards it without doing anything as it cannot change (the prime mover)

Aquinas = he doesn’t see the universe as being drawn towards some final cause … he sees the universe as being caused by God. God gives the universe purpose and direction just as an archer gives an arrow direction.

Question 20

subheadings 5 ways in which Aristotle has influenced Aquinas

Answer 20

1. Concept of Substance:
2. Integration of Faith and Reason:
3. Nature and Natural Law:
4. Epistemology (theory oof knowledge.. Questions on reality) and Causality:
5. Human Nature and Ethics:

Question 21

How did Aristotle influence aquinas on Concept of Substance:

Answer 21

Aquinas adopted Aristotle’s understanding of substance as the fundamental reality underlying existence.
He incorporated this notion into his own metaphysical framework,

Aquinas argued that the existence and essence of physical substances are distinct but intimately connected, with the essence providing the specific characteristics that determine the substance’s identity.

Aristotle argued the same - Substance is made up of form (characteristics) and matter (material elements)

Question 22

How did Aristotle influence aquinas on Integration of Faith and Reason:

Answer 22

Aquinas was influenced by Aristotle’s emphasis on reason and empirical observation as valid sources of knowledge.
He believed that reason, empirical observation and faith were compatible,

He used Aristotle’s philosophical tools (CHP) to provide rational justifications for Christian doctrine and NML.

Question 23

How did Aristotle influence aquinas on Epistemology (theory of knowledge.. Questions on reality) and Causality:

Answer 23

Aquinas was influenced by Aristotle’s emphasis on causality by incorporating Aristotle’s four causes (material, formal, efficient, and final) into his own understanding of causality and explanation.

e.g. the final cause/ end for all humans is the summun bonum- union with God and eternal happiness in the afterlife.

and the efficient cause of the universe is God.

Question 24

How did Aristotle influence aquinas on Human Nature and Ethics:

Answer 24

Aristotle’s ethical theories, focusing on virtues and the pursuit of happiness (eudaimonia) influenced Aquinas’s understanding of moral philosophy.

Aquinas developed his own ethical framework, NML , which integrated Aristotelian virtue ethics with Christian principles.

Aquinas argued that human beings achieve the summum bonum by following moral virtues,

based off of Aristotle’s 4 virtues : courage, temperance, justice, wisdom

, and attaining beatitude (supreme happiness) in communion with God.

Question 25

what did aquinas call Aristotle

Answer 25

The philosopher

Question 26

what are Aristotle’s 4 causes

Answer 26

Material Cause - The substance that something is composed of -desk, nails, wood, glue etc . (however these characteristics do not, alone, provide an explanation of the desk itself)
Formal Cause - Shape or structure that the matter takes- this allows it to be identified for what it is as a whole - e.g a desk is desk shaped
Efficient Cause - is whatever created it - the activity required to make it come about. E.g the carpenter of the desk. Aristotle expressed the efficient cause in terms of actualising of potential. Wood has the potential to be made into furniture, but it needs the efficient cause of the carpenter to realise this potential.
Final Cause - the reason or purpose for which is was created, its ‘telos’ or end. E.g desk can be used as a means for writing. (The final cause was of great use to Aristotelian ethical theory)

Question 27

for Aristotle - when is something good?

Answer 27

He thought something was ‘good’ when it fulfilled its ‘telos’. A good axe is an axe that cuts well.

“The good of man is the active exercise of his soul’s faculties in conformity with excellence or virtue”

In this quote, Aristotle suggests that the “good” for human beings is not simply a matter of fulfilling our desires or pursuing pleasure, but rather it involves fulfilling our telos or purpose as rational beings. This telos is connected to the idea of excellence or virtue, and it implies that there is a certain way that we ought to live in order to fulfil our potential as human beings.

Question 28

what do the four causes explain

Answer 28

the ultimate explanation for why something exists or was created.

Question 29

how is Aristotle’s philosophy teleological?

Answer 29

everything moves in a specific direction to an end which leads to happiness.

Question 30

how does Aristotle’s prime mover support a theistic God

Answer 30

1. God is changeless and thereby rationally consistent. He cannot change his mind or do something that contradicts his eternal nature.
   1. Necessary - it cannot depend on anything for its existence or it would be liable to come out of existence and therefore change . God has no potential and therefore must exist independently.
   
   2. Eternal - It has no potential therefore cannot change by ceasing to exist. Therefore it must have always existed. And ‘Time is a measure of change’
   3. Perfectly Good - Because badness is related to a lack - but the prime mover is ‘fully actual’

Question 31

how does Aristotle’s prime mover not support a theistic God

Answer 31

4. Immaterial and beyond time and space - All matter is capable of being acted upon therefore it cannot be made of matter. But then if the PM is immaterial it cannot physically act or think and therefore must be purely spiritual.

Question 32

what is the natural law for Aristotle?

Answer 32

The natural law, according to Aristotle, is closely tied to the concept of eudaimonia
Living in accordance with the natural law by cultivating virtues, temperance, justice, wisdom and courage

allows individuals to fulfill their potentia and achieve a state of eudaimonia.