Ethics (p. 1-2) - St Thomas Aquinas

Question 1

Aquinas born in..

Answer 1

Europe (c1224 AD) - ‘Dark Ages’

!) Crusaders - new religious/intellectual ideas from the Holy Land (including Aristotle’s work

Question 2

Aquinas studied/influenced by..

Answer 2

Studied at University of Naples/Aristotle’s work

Question 3

Aquinas agreed with Aristotle’s ideas of..

Answer 3

1. efficient/final cause
2. everything having a purpose (but given by God)
3. concept of ‘cultivation of virtues’ (to develop fully) - but given by God

Question 4

Aquinas aimed to use reason to..

Answer 4

defend the Church - as opposed to pure faith

Question 5

Aquinas’ 4 levels of Law:

Answer 5

1. Eternal Law
2. Divine Law
3. Natural Law/Laws of Nature
4. Human law/Positive law

Question 6

Eternal law

Answer 6

God’s will/wisdom and ‘rational ordering of the universe’ - revealed via Divine law

Question 7

Divine law

Answer 7

scripture/church guides humans to happiness in heaven

[quote - 2 Timothy 3v16-17]

(!) divine law made fully known in Natural law

Question 8

“All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for..

Answer 8

teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” - 2 Timothy 3v16-17

Question 9

Natural law/laws of Nature

Answer 9

fulfillment on earth - amalgamation of eternal/divine law

[Genesis 1v26]

Question 10

“Be fruitful..

Answer 10

and multiply” - Genesis 1v26

Question 11

Human/Positive law

Answer 11

regulated human behaviour withiin society (via state/gov)

Question 12

“nothing else than the rational..

Answer 12

creature’s participation in the eternal law.” - Aquinas, on natural law

Question 13

Aquinas’ assumptions (5)

Answer 13

1. all people seek to worship God
2. God created the universe and moral law within it
3. every individual has a particular purpose
4. since moral law comes from God, all humans should obey it
5. human nature remained the same since creation

Question 14

NL argues there is an objectively..

Answer 14

ideal way to be human - reaching ideal = maximum potential/closest to God

(!) we measure our humanity by this ‘ideal’

Question 15

NL argued God created universe, establishing..

Answer 15

order/purpose reflecting his will

Question 16

Ideal human nature exists, and sin..

Answer 16

is ‘falling short’ of this ideal

Question 17

Aquinas didn’t believe people chose evil..

Answer 17

‘apparent goods’ lead people astray

Question 18

Follow path of goodness =

Answer 18

‘summum bonum’

e.g. parable of Sheep and Goats, Matthew 25

Question 19

“Good is to be done and pursued, and evil is to be..

Answer 19

avoided. All other precepts of the law of nature are based on this” - Aquinas, Summa Theologica (Primary/Secondary Precepts, NML)

Question 20

Aquinas/NML believed humans must re-establish..

Answer 20

‘right’ relationship with God - broken by Adam/Eve

^ act of ‘original sin’ (disobeyed in Garden of Eden)

Question 21

NML is an..

Answer 21

absolute ethic - actions judged as ‘natural’/’unnatural’

universal ethic - not culturally conditioned

based on ‘reason’ - not revelation

Question 22

“The natural is that which everywhere..

Answer 22

is equally valid” - Aristotle

Question 23

“Ever since the creation of the world, his invisible nature, namely, his eternal..

Answer 23

power and deity, has been clearly percieved in the things that have been made” - Romans 1:20, Apostle St Paul

Question 24

“For your hardness of heart, Moses allowed you..

Answer 24

to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so” - Matthew 19:8

Question 25

“the moral life is the..

Answer 25

life according to reason” - Aquinas, morality not based on commands from God - rather on reason

Question 26

‘Summa Theologica’

Answer 26

Aquinas’ book on NML
1. everything has purpose revealed in its/God’s design

2. fulfillment of design = supreme good/ideal to be sought

(!) can be understood by examinations of Bible/natural world

Question 27

Aquinas wrote from the..

Answer 27

‘Christian tradition’

Question 28

Aquinas aimed to produce basis for..

Answer 28

Christian morality

Question 29

Aquinas stated that human reason..

Answer 29

‘starting point’ for morality

(!) reason is God’s gift to humanity

Question 30

Aquinas argues - there’s a NML which all humans naturally incline, and is..

Answer 30

1. accessible through the natural order
2. universal
3. eternal
4. relevant to all cicumstances
5. given by God

Question 31

The 4 Cardinal Virtues are the 4 human qualities that..

Answer 31

illustrate moral life/guide to achieving one’s final cause

Question 32

4 Cardinal Virtues:

Answer 32

1. Prudence
2. Justice
3. Fortitude
4. Temparance

(!) ‘cardo’ - Latin, ‘hinge’

Question 33

Prudence

Answer 33

ability to judge between actions

Question 34

Justice

Answer 34

balance out rights/interests with others

Question 35

Fortitude

Answer 35

courage/ability to confront fear

Question 36

Temparance

Answer 36

self-control/restraint