Natural law Flashcards
deontological
says we should always focus on the right action
teleological
says we should always focus on the consequence
Telos-Aquinas
Aquinas was influenced by Aristotle’s views that there is a natural end to all beings. Everything has a purpose (telos) built into it by its nature. The telos/end/goal of rational beings is the goodness of God, which for us involves glorifying God by following God’s moral law. God designed the universe to operate according to his divine plan by instilling telos in every being, to direct it towards its good end.
The four tiers of law
The eternal Law. God’s plan, built into the nature of everything which exists, according to his omnibenevolent nature.
The divine law – God’s revelation to humans in the Bible.
The natural law – The moral law God created in human nature, discoverable by human reason.
Human law – The laws humans make which should be based on the natural and divine law. Human law gains its authority by deriving from the natural and divine law which themselves ultimately derive authority from God’s nature.
what is the natural law theory
natural law says everything has a purpose, and that mankind was made by God with a specific design in mind. It says that this purpose can be found through reason.
what are the primary precepts
(1) Preserve innocent life;
(2) Ordered living in society;
(3) Worship God;
(4) Educate children;
(5) Reproduction of the species.
Synderesis
inborn knowledge of the primary principles of moral action. distinguished from syneidesis.
These primary precepts are the articulation of the orientations in our nature toward the good; the natural inclinations of our God-designed human nature, put into the form of ethical principles by human reason.
Interior & exterior acts
A physical action itself is an exterior act because it occurs outside of our mind. Our intention; what we deliberately choose to do, is the interior act because it occurs inside our mind.
Secondary precepts
Conscientia is the ability of reason to apply the primary precepts to situations or types of actions. The judgement we then acquire is a secondary precept.
The role of virtues
Aquinas thought it was important to be a virtuous person as that will secure a firmer foundation for ethical action.
What are the cardinal virtues
-Prudence involves the practical wisdom to understand how to fit general moral principles to particular situations so as to achieve our proper end/telos. Without this virtue we will be liable to make cognitive errors when reasoning through our moral judgements.
-Temperance involves having a moderating and controlled attitude towards bodily pleasures and other emotional desires like anger, vanity and vengeance.
-Fortitude/Courage involves having the strength of mind required to overcome our fears when they stand in the way of achieving our good.
-Justice involves the willingness to give people what they deserve.
Christian theological virtues
-Faith is the virtue of belief in God and his revelation.
-Hope is the virtue of the hope of heaven.
-Charity/Love is the virtue of agape; selfless Christian love of your neighbour.
does telos exist
Aristotle observed that everything has a nature which inclines it towards a certain goal which he and Aquinas called its telos.
It is a biological fact that certain behaviours cause an organism to flourish. Telos thus seems an empirically valid concept.
Aquinas and Aristotle claim every being has a unique essence which gives it a particular end/purpose.
does telos exist
Weakness
Francis Bacon, called the father of empiricism, argued that only material and efficient causation were valid scientific concepts, not formal and final causation. The idea of telos is unscientific.
synderesis rule
This directs our conscience and if humans apply God given reason it will lead to the right actions
