Natural Law Flashcards
what is the syneresis principle?
our natural disposition to do good and avoid evil - this is known by our conscience
Aristotle’s quote on nature and purpose
“Nature makes nothing without a purpose”
what is the essence of man according to aquinas
his rational soul
what are the three souls as outlined by Aristotle
nutritive, sensitive rational
practical wisdom
phronesis
what does Augustine believe about human nature
human nature has been corrupted by the fall, and without the assistance of God’s grace, humankind cannot fulfil its proper end
what are Aquinas’ four laws
eternal (mind and reason of god), divine (revealed in moral precepts of scripture), natural (innate to all of nature) and human
what is the distinction between real and apparent goods
real goods direct us towards arete from achieving our essential nature in accordance with precepts of NL;
apparent goods are what we pursue from a lack of practical judgement or when virtue misdirects our action
a quote that exemplifies the chase of an apparent good
‘a fornicator seeks pleasure which involves him in moral guilt’ (because the proper end of sex is reproduction, not pleasure)
what is sin equivalent to
acting against reason
what are the primary precepts
descriptive; absolute universal principles which are self-evident and express human inclinations
- Preservation of life
- Ordered society
- Worship god
- Education
- Reproduction
what are the secondary precepts
prescriptive; how the primary ones come to be applied through practical knowledge; can vary based on circumstance
e.g. give equal education, do not abort
how does practical wisdom develop
through virtuous habits that dispose us act rationally
explain proportionalism
it holds that there are certain moral rules and that it cannot be right to go against these rules unless there is a proportionate reason that would justify it;
proportionalism and the distinction between good acts and right acts
proportionalist holds that it is possible for an action in itself to be wrong, but in a certain context it may be morally right - in this way the circumstances need to be taken into account