1A: Laws and Precepts as the Basis of Morality Flashcards
Deontological
based on following rules or doing one’s duty. suggests acts are inherently right or wrong
Absolutist
true for all time, in all places and in all situations
Legalist
one must obey relgious laws or rules to gain eternal life
What is Aquinas’ Natural Law theory?
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
According to natural law theory, what makes a person moral?
fulfilling their essential ‘function’
What have humans been given to discover their essential function?
the gift of reason
What is the basic core idea of any theory of Natural Law?
it is an ethical theory based on the concept of a final cause/purpose which determines everything’s natural use or goal
What is the classical background of Natural Law?
- 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
What Greek philosopher has the biggest classical influence on Aquinas?
Aristotle
What 3 ideas did Aquinas agree with Aristotle about?
- the ability to reason is a key element of human nature
- everything in the world has a purpose. however Aquinas believed the purpose was given to things by god
- used many of Aristotle’s terms and phrases in writing his own version of the natural law theory
Efficient Cause
what brings the object/thing about
Aquinas’ Efficient Cause
the efficient cause of humanity is God who is revealed in scripture as the creator
Material Cause
what something is made of
Final Cause
purpose/telos for which it was created
Aquinas’ Final Cause
do good and avoid evil to achieve fellowship with God in the beatific vision
What is the name of Aquinas’ book?
Summa Theologica
What is Scholasticism?
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
What is Natural Theology?
knowledge of God based on observation of the empirical world
What are Aquinas’ 4 Levels of Law?
- eternal law
- divine law
- natural law
- human law
Eternal Law
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
Divine Law
God chooses to reveal parts of eternal law through sacred texts and teachings of the church
- found in bible
- bible
- absolute
Natural Law
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
Human Law
forms the legal system of our societies.
- relative
- subject to laws above
What did Aquinas believe about human nature?
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
What did Aquinas believe was humankind’s ultimate purpose in life?
to re-establish a ‘right’ relationship with God and by doing so gain eternal life with God in heaven
What ‘gift’ did God give humankind to help achieve this ultimate purpose?
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
How does God’s gift of reason link to the primary precepts?
the primary precepts are derived from rational thought and are based on the premise of ‘doing good and avoiding evil’
What are the five primary precepts?
Preserve innocent life
Ordered society
Worship God
Educate
Reproduce
What are the secondary precepts?
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”
Why are secondary precepts not absolutist?
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)
What secondary precept could follow the primary precept of preserving human life?
- don’t euthanise someone who isn’t sick
- don’t commit suicide
- don’t commit murder
- don’t abort
What secondary precept could follow the primary precept of ordered society?
uphold rule of law
What secondary precept could follow the primary precept of worshipping God?
- go to church
- confess your sins
- follow 10 commandments
What secondary precept could follow the primary precept of educating?
- educate others
- be prepared to listen and learn
What secondary precept could follow the primary precept of reproducing?
do not use contraception
What is the syndresis rule?
do good and avoid evil
