Deontological Ethics Flashcards
What are Aquinas’s Primary precepts
Preservation of life: Humans should preserve their own life and those of the innocent.
Ordered society: Humanity should live together in harmony.
Worship God: Humanity all have a duty to worship God
Education: Everyone should seek to be educated and understand nature of God’s Earth.
Reproduction of the human species, humanity should procreate.
What is the Background to Natural Law?
Religious ethic, influencital in Catholic Church. Created by THomas Aquinas who was influenced by greek philosopher Aristotle.
What is Absolutism?
Actions that are morally good or bad in themselves, no other criteria is needed to assesss morality.
(Natural Law is an absolutist ethic because Aquinas believed that God ortained all actions)
What is Deontological
the action only should be judged right or wrong. moral agent or end outcome of the action should not be considered when making moral judgement.
What does telelogical mean?
Right and wrong should be judged by the ‘end purpose’ of our action (telos). end purpose of action should be judged.
What did Aquinas believe about Natural Law?
Aquinas argues that God created set and governs all moral laws. Only God knows these laws but humans can partially understand through God given inate human reason. “Natural Law is the Law written on all our hearts”
What is the purpose of Natural Law
The universe was created by God with an end purpose (telos). Purpose 1: To explain that the end purpose God created is for all of humanity. Purpose 2: Explain the way telos can be achieved.
What are the Four Cardinal Virtues
Fortitude (Courage):Ability to overcome fear and stand up for whats right
Temperance: Self discipline
Prudence:Ability to judge right and wrong
Justice:To make a stand when an injustice is commited
What are the three revealed Virtues
(Revealed to humanity through Holy Scripture cannot fully be achieved by Humanys but they must aim to act as a standard)
Faith: Total belief in God, obedience to God.
Hope:Belief that God is eternally present with you
Charity(love): Pure unconditional love for our neighbors and God.
Aquinas “the things we love tell us what we are”
What is an exterior and interior act
Exterior act:The deontological actions a moral agent carries out for example helping elderly person cross the road.
**Interior act: **The intentions (motives) behind our actions for example having compassion towards act
What is a Real Good?
Aquinas believes we all have a God given rationality. Following Natural Law and having good reasoning in a situation is a real good.
What is an Apparent Good?
Anyone who doesnt follow Natural Law is not being evil just using their God given reason incorrectly. E.g commiting adultery to follow Procreation.
What is Eternal Law?
Eternal Law: Laws created, governed and controlled by God. Humans do not have the ability to fully understand these Laws.
What is Divine Law?
Divine Law is the law revealed by God through sacred scriptures, such as the Bible. It provides specific instructions for human behavior and helps guide us beyond what we can know through reason alone. Guides Telos. E.g 10 Commandments.
What is Natural Law?
Natural Law is the part of the Eternal Law that applies to human beings and can be discovered through reason. It is based on the idea that humans, through their rational nature, can understand their purpose and the natural order of things.
“Natural Law is the Law written on all our hearts”
