Lesson 10 – NATURAL LAW

Question 1

spearheaded natural law

Answer 1

Tommaso d’Aquino

Question 2

Treatise on Law

Answer 2

SUMMA THEOLOGIAE

Question 3

“nothing else than an ordinance of reason for the common good, made by him who has care of the community, and promulgated”

Answer 3

law as defined by St. Thomas Aquinas

Question 4

The essential properties of law are:

Answer 4

a) to be directed to the common good
b) to direct human behavior according to the order of rightness
c) to urge people to do what is jurisdically prescribed

Question 5

the divine and rational model according to which God created the world

Answer 5

Eternal Law

Question 6

the divine plan of the universe

Answer 6

Eternal Law

Question 7

Aquinas argued that the world is ruled by ___, that is, the whole community of the universe is governed by ___

Answer 7

Divine Providence or ‘Divine Reason’

Divine Reason

Question 8

Aquinas argued, however, that nobody except ___ and ___ can know this law in itself.

Answer 8

God

the blessed

Question 9

For every knowledge of truth is a kind of ___ of the eternal law

Answer 9

reflection and participation

Question 10

according to the order of eternal law, do all creatures participate in eternal law?

Answer 10

Yes. Because each creature has some imprint of Divine Reason. This imprint directs creatures to their proper operations and ends

Question 11

derived from God and guides man to perform acts in order to reach his or her end which is ‘eternal happiness’ the divine revelation expressed in the Holy Scriptures which assists man in understanding the requirements of law and morality.

Answer 11

Divine Law

Question 12

Aquinas argued that man’s natural inclination is towards ___, and that by acting according to reason, man acts in accordance with virtue

Answer 12

virtue or goodness

Question 13

St. Thomas Aquinas maintained that man’s ‘good’ tendencies are to:

Answer 13

preserve human life
to have children
to live in society
to know God.

Question 14

For him, the purpose of law was to promote the ‘___’, which leads to the ‘___’

Answer 14

common good

perfect community

Question 15

St. Thomas Aquinas argued that the Divine Law is given to men to reduce the ___ and to increase ___

Answer 15

quantity of human error

the certainty of what should be done and what should be avoided

Question 16

Divine Law is necessary for four reasons:

Answer 16

a) man is ordained to a supernatural end which surpasses his natural reason
b) because of the uncertainty of human judgments, different and contradictory laws result
c) human law could not sufficiently direct interior acts
d) human law cannot punish or forbid all evil deeds

Question 17

St. Thomas Aquinas argued that the Divine Law is ___, therefore it is not the result of ___ but the gift of Divine Grace

Answer 17

given directly by God

human judgment

Question 18

Divine Law does not contradict human reason, but completes it by ___

Answer 18

presenting additional rules for life and behavior.

Question 19

the process whereby man, as a rational being, participates in the Eternal Law.

Answer 19

Natural Law

Question 20

Aquinas said that the natural law is “___” and “nothing else than the rational creature’s ___”

Answer 20

something appointed by reason

participation of the eternal law

Question 21

Aquinas argued that Natural Law is called ‘law’ only because of ___

Answer 21

man’s participation

Question 22

Are irrational creatures subject to the eternal law?

Answer 22

Yes, but they cannot participate in a rational manner.

Question 23

Summarize natural law in 4 words

Answer 23

Do good, avoid evil

Question 24

Natural law simply implies three essential points:

Answer 24

a) it is appointed by reason
b) it is an inclination towards the good (to do good and avoid evil)
c) it is man’s participation of the eternal law

Question 25

emerges when a public person entrusted with ‘care of the community’ exercise human reason in order to interpret the Eternal Law and create laws

Answer 25

Human Law

Question 26

the application of natural law to particular societies by way of “conclusions” and “determinations”.

Answer 26

Human Law

Question 27

A private person cannot make laws because he or she does not have ___

Answer 27

coercive power, or the power to ‘inflict penalties

Question 28

Man possesses reason – ___ and ___

Answer 28

speculative (intellect)

practical (will)

Question 29

Man’s intellect is always inclined towards the ___ while his will, towards the ___

Answer 29

Truth

Good

Question 30

The concept of good is the most fundamental concept of the practical sphere which is related to the fundamental precept of natural law that ___

Answer 30

“good is to be done and pursued, and evil is to be avoided”.

Question 31

The ___ is the beginning of ethics

Answer 31

natural law’s precept

Question 32

___ understands the precepts of natural law as human good, and is able to decide how to fulfill them without recourse to evil actions.

Answer 32

Practical reason

Question 33

The ability of practical reason to discern moral principles, rules and duties, made Aquinas call the natural law, ___

Answer 33

“the light of natural reason”

Question 34

True or False: man has innate orientations on how to live and behave in this world

Answer 34

True

Question 35

True or False: The first natural inclination to preserve its own being is common to all substances. Therefore, “whatever is a means of preserving human life, and of warding off its obstacles, belongs to the natural law”. Hence, man is obliged to preserve his own existence.

Answer 35

True

Question 36

True or False: The second level of natural inclination is directed to the preservation of the species. Thus, “in virtue of this inclination, those things are said to belong to the natural law, ‘which nature has thought to all animals’, such as sexual intercourse, education of offspring and so forth”

Answer 36

True

Question 37

The third level of inclinations belong those which are according to reason. Aquinas indicates two of them: “___, and ___”

Answer 37

to know the truth about God

to live in society”

Question 38

True or False: The third level of inclinations involves faith, truth and social relations

Answer 38

True