2.1A- Natural Law Flashcards
Why is natural law deontological?
Because it produces rules and duties, which comes out of a teleological worldview.
Why is natural law absolutist?
Because the natural law is absolute and unchanging. It is only the precepts that are primary that are unchanging. “A sharing in the eternal law by intelligent creatures.”
Why is natural law normative?
Because natural law creates norms or values which are inherent in the natural order, accessed by our reason.
Brief history of natural law
- Natural laws ethics goes back to Aristotle and his theory of telos; that everything was a nature which directs it towards a particular end goal.
- St. Paul put forth that all, internally, could disern a law
- Christian ethics is most associated with the commands and precepts found in the Bible. Aquinas’ contribution was to argue that telos is also a source of Christian moral principles. Following this, natural law is thus also an essential element of living a moral life.
How does natural law argue that everything has a nature/end goal?
In the Bible, St. Paul wrote this too- Jesus has God’s laws, gentiles have their own, inherent, laws that they follow. So Aquinas says that telos/end purpose law is also set by God. Ethics is therefore from Christinaity’s God and found in the Bible. So Aquinas argues God bas given mankind natural law, a way to know rights from wrong and apply this in life/decisions. Natural law makes us live morally.
What are the four tiers called?
The eternal law
The divine law
The natural law
The human law
What is the eternal law?
God’s plan, built into the nature of everything which exists, according to his omnibenevolent nature.
What is the divine law?
God’s revelation to humans in the Bible
What is the natural law?
The moral law God created in human nature, discoverable by human reason.
What is the human law?
The laws humans make which should be based on the natural and divine law. Human law gains it’s authority by divining from the natural and divine law which themselves ultimately derive authority from God’s nature.
Where do we learn about primary precepts and syndersis?
- Reason is seen as the power of the human soul.
- Synderesis is the habit or abilty of reason to discover foundational ‘first principles’ of God’s natural moral law.
- This forms the synderesis rule: that the good is what all things seek as their end/goal (telos).
- This means that human nature has an innate orientation to the good.
- Everyone is born with the primary precepts so everyone has the chance to fulfill them.
What are the primary precepts?
- Worship God
- live in an orderly society
- reproduce
- educate
- protect and preserve human life and defend the innocent
The secondary precepts and conscientia
- These are extensions of the primary precepts, however, they are more inferred responses
- Conscientia is to reason to apply primary precepts to specific scenarios. That judgement is the second precept (E.g- Euthanasia goes against protecting and preserving human life, so as a secondary precept, Euthanasia is wrong).
The difference between interior and exterior acts
- Interior acts are our intention
- Exterior acts are our physical actions
Why interior and exterior acts are important
- The point of Natural Law is to find out what fulfills the telos or our nature and act on that, through this, we glorify God. This isn’t good without intending to do it.
- The act of giving money to charity is a good exterior act, but is only morally good when combined with the righr kind of intention.
