Natural Law

Question 1

What are Aquinas’ 4 Natural Laws?

Answer 1

Eternal law, divine law, natural law, human law.

Question 2

What is Eternal Law?

Answer 2

Principles made and controlled by God.

Question 3

What is Divine Law?

Answer 3

Law of God revealed through the Bible and transmitted though Church teachings.

Question 4

What is Natural Law?

Answer 4

A natural sense that good is to be done and evil is to be avoided.

Question 5

What is Human Law?

Answer 5

Everyday laws that govern our lives.

Question 6

What is the purpose of the Primary Precepts?

Answer 6

Aquinas believed the Primary Precepts were part of a path towards salvation.

Question 7

What are the five Primary Precepts? (POWER)

Answer 7

Protect life, Ordered society, Worship God, Educate Offspring, Reproduce.

Question 8

Prohibitions are…

Answer 8

things one should not do.

Question 9

Positive injunctions are…

Answer 9

things one should do.

Question 10

What are Secondary Precepts?

Answer 10

Human laws which govern our everyday lives, such as the law of the land or family rules.

Question 11

Primary and Secondary Precepts are related because…

Answer 11

secondary precepts should exist to guide one towards the primary precepts.

Question 12

Aquinas believed that it was important to consider ___ and __ when reasoning our actions.

Answer 12

intention/the act

Question 13

What is the Double Effect?

Answer 13

It is okay to do something with a morally good intended effect but a morally bad unintended side effect.

Question 14

(Aristotle) Efficient cause is…

Answer 14

concerned with how something happened.

Question 15

(Aristotle) Final cause is…

Answer 15

why something exists. This is the most important, and by answering this question you can decide if something is “good”. Perfection can only be reach if something fulfils its intended purpose.

Question 16

(Aristotle) What is “eudaimonia”?

Answer 16

The state of human flourishing and the purpose of life. The social responsibility to live well and behave well.

Question 17

What is Aquinas’ interpretation of Aristotle’s “efficient cause”?

Answer 17

“It is necessary to admit a first efficient cause, to which everyone gives the name of God.”

Question 18

What is Aquinas’ interpretation of Aristotle’s “final cause”?

Answer 18

Our purpose is to seek union with God which was broken due to our sins.

Question 19

Aquinas argued that reason is…, which means…

Answer 19

God-given/Christianity could be rationally justified in terms of morality.

Question 20

____ created Natural Law.

Answer 20

Aquinas

Question 21

____ created the theory of causes.

Answer 21

Aristotle

Question 22

Natural Law’s purpose is ….

Answer 22

a union with God.

Question 23

What is proportionalism and how does it reject the idea of Aquinas’ Natural Law?

Answer 23

Proportionalism is the idea that natural moral law should be viewed as a framework for moral decision-making, which goes against Aquinas’ absolutist view of Natural Law.

Question 24

What does McCormick mean by condemning a “casuistic” way of life?

Answer 24

“Casuistic” refers to the absolutist treatment of the precepts with only measures such as the Double Effect which can be applied in extreme situations, rather than viewing the precepts themselves with more flexibility.

Question 25

(McCormick+Hoose) What is “pre-moral evil”? What is a proportionalist’s view on this?

Answer 25

An action which is obviously and objectively bad and where intentions do not matter, rejected by proportionality as intentions always matter.

Question 26

(McCormick+Hoose) What is “Ontic Evil”? What is a proportionalist’s view on this?

Answer 26

We live in an imperfect “fallen” world, which explains natural disasters, disease and how good intentions can cause harm. Proportionalists believe you cannot view religious rules as absolute as the universe is morally ambiguous.

Question 27

(McCormick+Hoose) What is an “Evil Moral Act”? What is a proportionalist’s view on this?

Answer 27

An action which is actually bad, Hoose argues that when we take situation and circumstance into account we cannot predict whether an act is an evil moral act or not in advance.

Question 28

(McCormick+Hoose) What is a “Good Act”? What is a proportionalist’s view on this?

Answer 28

Following a moral rule such as the precepts and having the right intentions. Proportionalists agree with Fletcher that the best intention is agape.

Question 29

(McCormick+Hoose) What is a “Right Act”? What is a proportionalist’s view on this?

Answer 29

Breaking a moral rule for proportionate reasons, lesser of two evils or for the greater good. An action may not be good as it breaks a moral rule, but it is right because it is with good intentions.

Question 30

Who is Richard McCormick?

Answer 30

A Jesuit priest and moral theologian, proportionalist. (1922-2000)

Question 31

Who is Bernard Hoose?

Answer 31

Scholar, proportionalist (1945-present)

Question 32

Interpret the quote “the best is often the enemy of the Good” and explain whether it is a support or a criticism of Natural Law.

Answer 32

Sometimes the best course of action is to follow your best intention, rather than absolutist moral laws - relativism over legalism. A criticism of Natural Law as absolutist laws are not efficient and do not regard the best outcome in situations.

Question 33

What is the Catholic reaction to proportionalism?

Answer 33

Opposes. Pope John Paul II (1920-2005) says proportionalism denies that any act is intrinsically evil. Pope Benedict (1927–present) blamed proportionalist beliefs for the sexual abuse in the Catholic church system.