Natural Law

Question 1

What is natural law?

Answer 1

Natural law is the moral thinking that we are all able to do, whether or not we have had the divine revelation of scripture

Question 2

What is Synderesis ?

Answer 2

Do good and avoid evil

Question 3

Is natural law deontological or teleological?

Answer 3

Deontological

Question 4

What does deontological mean?

Answer 4

Always about the right action rather than the outcome,

The outcome cannot justify the action.

Question 5

Who is the scholar for natural law?

Answer 5

Aquinas

Question 6

What are the five primary precepts?

Answer 6

Reproduction, preservation of life, worshipping God, living in society and educating the young.

Question 7

What is absolute morality?

Answer 7

Somethings are always right and always wrong.

There are rules that our behaviour should always abide by.

Question 8

What are secondary precepts?

Answer 8

They are made up of more specific rules that can be deduced from the primary precepts.

Aquinas suggested that secondary precepts are needed

Question 9

What are interior and exterior acts?

Answer 9

For Aquinas, a good act must have a good motive (interior) as well as being a good action as viewed on the outside (exterior)

Question 10

What case study can you use in natural law?

Answer 10

Thalidomide Children

Question 11

What is the case study of the Thalidomide Children ?

Answer 11

The intention was the doctors to create a drug to reduce morning sickness and it caused babies to be born with disabilities causing problems with the children’s limbs, organs and eyesight.

Question 12

Why is natural law an absolutist theory?

Answer 12

Because we are always acting according to the natural law that exists in the universe.

Question 13

Aquinas said that our power of reason will keep us on the right path, why?

Answer 13

Because the reason is our ability to know right from wrong and make rational decisions

Question 14

What are real and apparent goods?

Answer 14

Aquinas said that if we follow the synderesis rule and the primary precepts we will achieve real goods and become closer to God

Question 15

Aquinas said that we would never use a reason to choose to do the wrong thing, Why?

Answer 15

Because if we do the wrong thing it must be because we were mistaken and we were trying to achieve an apparent good

Question 16

What is the doctrine of the double effect? (Bad and Good effects)

Answer 16

That for Aquinas what matters is which effect is intended and the intention (Thalidomide Children)

Question 17

What is the negative of the primary precepts in today’s society?

Answer 17

Sometimes the secondary precepts clash for example reproduction is an issue as today in a society with equal rights how can this rule be abided by for same-sex couples.

Contraceptives

Question 18

How do we achieve union with God?

Answer 18

Do good and avoid evil (Synderesis) 

Question 19

How do we do good and avoid evil?

Answer 19

By following the five primacy precepts via the secondary precepts

Question 20

Aquinas assumes that we are all reasonable human beings and believe that we veer towards choosing good, why?

Answer 20

Because we are made by God

Question 21

Considering how we might do you good and avoid evil through working out the secondary precepts for situations, what does this involve?

Answer 21

A rational reflection on our human nature