Aquinas Natural Law Flashcards
When did Thomas Aquinas live?
1225-1274
Aquinas brought up 4 laws, what are they?
- Divine Law
- Eternal Law
- Natural Law
- Human Law
We make moral decisions using our ______
Reasons
What does Aquinas think the ultimate reason for living and existing is?
Being in God’s presence is every human’s telos.
What’s eternal law
‘The plan by which God, as ruler of the universe, governs all things’
What’s Divine Law
God’s law revealed through scriptures- most importantly through the bible. The ten commandments.
What’s Natural Law
Natural law is how perceive the eternal law and how people read and understand the divine law.
What’s human law
The laws people come up with in response to higher tier of law
What are the five primary precepts
- Preserve life
- Order in society
- Worship God
- Education
- Reproduction
What are the secondary precepts
- Do not kill
- Respect the law of society
- Pray, go to church
- Educate your offsprings
- Have babies! don’t use contraception.
What is an apparent good? and an example?
Things that seem good but don’t promote human flourishing.
E.g. Smoking with friends
What does real good mean
Going according to the rim art precepts and God wishes
name three strengths of natural law?
- It is supposed to be applicable to all and everything.
- They are reasonable laws. Things like education, preserving life, and reproduction are already basic standards in modern day.
- Considers the purpose of humanity and how to achieve it.
Name 3 weaknesses to natural moral law
- double effect
- NML is too simplistic because humans don’t have fixed understandings of human nature.
- NML can’t be used when considering more complex issues such as should money be invested more into schools or hospitals?
What’s the double effect? And give an example
When one act can go along with the five primary precepts but also go against it.
E.g. Abortion. potentially preserving the woman’s life by causes the death of the ‘baby’
