Natural law- key terms

Question 1

Aristotle

Answer 1

Aquinas based his ideas on Aristotle’s ethics – particularly the idea that what is ‘good’ is when we fulfil our purpose. If we observe humans we see that our purpose is to contribute to society. If we do this we will feel satisfied and fulfilled

Question 2

Eudaimonia

Answer 2

Aristotle’s idea of feeling satisfied and fulfilled because you have carried out the purpose for which you were designed. Eudaimonia, according to Aristotle, equates with goodness.

Question 3

Image of God

Answer 3

Aquinas believed that our purpose was to be with God in Heaven where we will finally reflect his image. In the meantime, our intention should be to pursue perfection (although this is impossible in our earthly lives)

Question 4

Primary Precepts

Answer 4

Aquinas suggested 5 ‘natural’ behaviours that God placed within our human natures. If we try to fulfil these they will help us to pursue perfection. They are: to learn, to reproduce, to live harmoniously, to preserve life and to worship.

Question 5

Secondary precepts

Answer 5

Secondary precepts help us to fulfil primary precepts – for example marriage helps us to reproduce and live harmoniously, therefore it must be ‘good’.

Question 6

Synderesis

Answer 6

The process of reasoning where we work out secondary precepts from the primary precepts. We might also consult Divine Law as part of this process in deciding how to act.

Question 7

Telos

Answer 7

The concept of our purpose for being – for Aquinas, this is fellowship with God, achieved through following our ‘natural’ behaviours that God placed within our human natures.

Question 8

Hierarchy of Law- 4 Tiers

Answer 8

Eternal Law exists in the mind of God, but is too much for us to understand, so God has also given us Divine Law (the Bible) and Natural Law (reason). These over-ride state law (or human law) if they conflict. It is acceptable for followers of Natural Law to break state laws if necessary.

Question 9

Sin

Answer 9

Sin is not ‘evil’. Aquinas believes that our intention is always good, but we wrongly apply our reason. A man having an affair thinks that he is in love; he has not properly considered the primary precepts (to live harmoniously) or Divine Law (Do not commit adultery)

Question 10

Proportionalist

Answer 10

A proportionalist recognises that some actions are wrong but necessary depending on the circumstances. For example, the Pope allowed aid workers to use their discretion and distribute condoms to prevent the spread of AIDs, even though this meant that people would not reproduce.

Question 11

Double effect

Answer 11

The intended outcome is ‘good’, even though a second precept is broken, for example giving a terminally ill patient sufficient drugs to relieve his pain inadvertently kills him. In this case the death was an unintended side effect of a good action.

Question 12

Absolutist

Answer 12

An absolutist believes that moral laws exist beyond the mind of humans. Moral laws are discovered, not made.

Question 13

Deontological

Answer 13

‘Deont’ is ‘duty’. Deontological systems of ethics believe that we must do what is ‘right’ regardless of the consequences. Kant and Natural Law are both deontological

Question 14

Teleological

Answer 14

Teleological systems of ethics base ‘good’ actions on intended outcomes – utilitarianism and situation ethics are teleological because what is ‘right’ causes happiness or love; Natural Law is also teleological because the outcome is to go to heaven.

Question 15

Real and apparent goods

Answer 15

rational people would never knowingly choose to do evil and when they do, it is following an apparent rather than real good.

Question 16

Interior and exterior acts

Answer 16

for Aquinas, both the intention and the act are important. To act in a good way for the wrong reason is to perform a good exterior act but a bad interior act. We have therefore only fulfilled an apparent rather than real good.