Natural Law

Question 1

What is natural moral law?

Answer 1

A divine command theory used by the Roman Catholic Church but is universal.

Question 2

What is natural moral laws guiding principle?

Answer 2

Do good and avoid evil.

Question 3

Fill in the blanks: Motive and ____ is the source of morality, not ____. We have a duty to ourselves and to ____ to be a good person and will receive ____ reward.

Answer 3

duty, consequences, God, eschatological

Question 4

How could natural moral law be considered legalist?

Answer 4

Moral rules are absolute and given by God for us to obey. NOTE: God is not a tyrant, just obey rules so our life is fulfilled not our of fear or to earn God’s favour!

Question 5

Who is the founder of natural moral law?

Answer 5

Aristotle

Question 6

What does Aristotle say about natural moral law?

Answer 6

Humans have the ability to reason that no other animal has.
Humans use their reason and abide by the universal law of nature.
Following this innate universal morality will lead to the fulfilment of our telos - the supreme ‘good’ to be sought.

Question 7

What does Aquinas combine to develop natural moral law to fit into Christian worldview?

Answer 7

He combines biblical and classical influence…revelation (how God reveals himself in the Bible) and natural theology (studying God from a philosophical and rational pov)

Question 8

Fill in the blanks: Aquinas argues the world is ordered and ___; everything in the universe has a ___. God is a ___ being who has created a ___ world, which shows ___ and purpose but also characteristics of divine ___. The creation of the world reveals God’s ___ which implies the universe is good and that we should act in a way that uses our ___ to be moral - that is our primary ___.

Answer 8

rational, telos, necessary, contingent, order, will, goodness, reason, funtion

Question 9

What is an efficient cause?

Answer 9

The agent of change that brings about its effect - the cause.

Question 10

What is a final cause?

Answer 10

The goal or purpose towards which a thing is oriented.

Question 11

What is a precept?

Answer 11

A general rule that tells us how to behave.

Question 12

True or false: Both primary and secondary precepts are teleological.

Answer 12

False - primary = teleological, secondary = deontological.

Question 13

What are primary precepts and how are they discovered?

Answer 13

They are goods which we all seek and which contribute to human fulfilment. Worked out by using reason and observing the natural world.

Question 14

List the 5 primary precepts.

Answer 14

1. Preservation of life
2. Reproduction/procreation
3. Education
4. Ordered society
5. Worship God

Question 15

What are secondary precepts and how are they discovered?

Answer 15

Give clearer more specific rules and guidance. Worked out by making primary precepts practical to life.

Question 16

Give examples of secondary precepts based on each of the 5 primary precepts.

Answer 16

1. No abortion
2. No contraception
3. All people should receive education
4. Do not steal
5. Go to mass on Sunday

Question 17

What does Aquinas say about interior and exterior acts?

Answer 17

Interior act - intention behind action
Exterior act - the actual act performed
For an action to be good, both the intention and the action should be good. Cannot be moral if the intention or the action are bad, even if the other is somehow good.

Question 18

What are apparent vs real goods?

Answer 18

Apparent goods go against the primary and secondary precepts e.g. abortion may seem like the right solution to someone’s situation but it is not a real good and natural reasoning has not been fully applied.
Real goods allow us to become virtuous beings and help us fulfil our potential as rational beings.