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Religious Studies: Ethics > 1A: Laws and Precepts as the Basis of Morality > Flashcards

1A: Laws and Precepts as the Basis of Morality Flashcards

1
Q

Deontological

A

based on following rules or doing one’s duty. suggests acts are inherently right or wrong

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2
Q

Absolutist

A

true for all time, in all places and in all situations

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3
Q

Legalist

A

one must obey relgious laws or rules to gain eternal life

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4
Q

What is Aquinas’ Natural Law theory?

A

a theory that states everything is created by God for a particular function, and that fulfilling this purpose is the ‘good’ to which everything should aim

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5
Q

According to natural law theory, what makes a person moral?

A

fulfilling their essential ‘function’

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6
Q

What have humans been given to discover their essential function?

A

the gift of reason

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7
Q

What is the basic core idea of any theory of Natural Law?

A

it is an ethical theory based on the concept of a final cause/purpose which determines everything’s natural use or goal

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8
Q

What is the classical background of Natural Law?

A
  • the play antigone (5th century BCE) by Sophocles addresses the idea that a state cannot overrule the immortal laws of the gods
  • the stoics (a school of greek philosophy) spoke of something which they called ‘Logos’. refers to a rational principle which they believed governed both the world and human nature itself
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9
Q

What Greek philosopher has the biggest classical influence on Aquinas?

A

Aristotle

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10
Q

What 3 ideas did Aquinas agree with Aristotle about?

A
  1. the ability to reason is a key element of human nature
  2. everything in the world has a purpose. however Aquinas believed the purpose was given to things by god
  3. used many of Aristotle’s terms and phrases in writing his own version of the natural law theory
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11
Q

Efficient Cause

A

what brings the object/thing about

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12
Q

Aquinas’ Efficient Cause

A

the efficient cause of humanity is God who is revealed in scripture as the creator

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13
Q

Material Cause

A

what something is made of

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14
Q

Final Cause

A

purpose/telos for which it was created

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15
Q

Aquinas’ Final Cause

A

do good and avoid evil to achieve fellowship with God in the beatific vision

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16
Q

What is the name of Aquinas’ book?

A

Summa Theologica

17
Q

What is Scholasticism?

A

a method of critical thought used by scholars of medieval universities in europe between about 1100 and 1790. began as an attempt to reconcile Christian theology with classical theology - an attempt to bridge faith and reason

18
Q

What is Natural Theology?

A

knowledge of God based on observation of the empirical world

19
Q

What are Aquinas’ 4 Levels of Law?

A
  1. eternal law
  2. divine law
  3. natural law
  4. human law
20
Q

Eternal Law

A

the principles that lie behind the universe based on God’s creation. only God can fully understand these. it is eternal because it is always true and never changes.
- most authoritative
- absolute

21
Q

Divine Law

A

God chooses to reveal parts of eternal law through sacred texts and teachings of the church
- found in bible
- bible
- absolute

22
Q

Natural Law

A

humans are able to use their god given gift of reason to work out elements of eternal law
- aims to achieve highest good, rational understanding of God’s final purpose

23
Q

Human Law

A

forms the legal system of our societies.
- relative
- subject to laws above

24
Q

What did Aquinas believe about human nature?

A

there is an ‘ideal’ human nature which all humans can potentially achieve. he did not believe people deliberately chose to be evil. all people can know what is right/wrong using their ability to reason

25
Q

What did Aquinas believe was humankind’s ultimate purpose in life?

A

to re-establish a ‘right’ relationship with God and by doing so gain eternal life with God in heaven

26
Q

What ‘gift’ did God give humankind to help achieve this ultimate purpose?

A

reason. “the moral life is the life according to reason”. our reason should help up make the correct moral decisions in order to establish the ‘right’ relationship with God

27
Q

How does God’s gift of reason link to the primary precepts?

A

the primary precepts are derived from rational thought and are based on the premise of ‘doing good and avoiding evil’

28
Q

What are the five primary precepts?

A

Preserve innocent life
Ordered society
Worship God
Educate
Reproduce

29
Q

What are the secondary precepts?

A

rulings about things we should or shouldn’t do because they either uphold or fail to uphold any of the primary precepts. (example: rulings such as “do not murder” or “do not commit suicide” would all seem to uphold the primary precept “preserve innocent life”

30
Q

Why are secondary precepts not absolutist?

A

they have to be interpreted in the context of the situation, and they may have to be broken in extreme cases. (example: primary precept of “ordered society” suggest it’s wrong to steal. however if someone has a gun and intends to kill people with it, it would be considered rational to steal a gun to fulfill living in an ordered society)

31
Q

What secondary precept could follow the primary precept of preserving human life?

A
  • don’t euthanise someone who isn’t sick
  • don’t commit suicide
  • don’t commit murder
  • don’t abort
32
Q

What secondary precept could follow the primary precept of ordered society?

A

uphold rule of law

33
Q

What secondary precept could follow the primary precept of worshipping God?

A
  • go to church
  • confess your sins
  • follow 10 commandments
34
Q

What secondary precept could follow the primary precept of educating?

A
  • educate others
  • be prepared to listen and learn
35
Q

What secondary precept could follow the primary precept of reproducing?

A

do not use contraception

36
Q

What is the syndresis rule?

A

do good and avoid evil

Religious Studies: Ethics (20 decks)

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