Natural law Flashcards
Who said ‘to disparage the dictate of reason is equivalent to condemning the command of god’ ?
St Thomas aquinas
What is natural law ?
The idea that there are innate moral laws built into nature, that everyone should follow at all times
What did Aristotle believe about all humans ?
that we all had a purpose
What is the basis of natural law ?
The idea that moral decision making is objective
What are the primary precepts ?
Life
Education
Worshiping God
Law & order
reproduction
What is the key precept ?
Do good and avoid evil
What are the secondary precepts ?
How we use reason to apply the primary precepts in more specific situations
What is the doctrine of double effect ?
Where in order to do the most morally correct act one must break one of the primary or the key precepts
What else did aquinas talk about ?
Real vs apparent goods
If we are born with a natural inclination and understanding of what is good, what are the reasons aquinas gives for why some violate natural law ?
Emotion
Ignorance
What are Aquinas’ 4 tiers of law ?
Eternal law
divine law
human law
natural law
