Natural Moral Law

Question 1

What does Deontological mean?

Answer 1

actions are right or wrong in and of themselves, regardless of consequence

Question 2

What is absolutism?

Answer 2

Universal moral norms which apply in all situations at all times

Question 3

What is the efficient cause?

Answer 3

The agent which causes something to happen, in an example of a pizza it is the baker

Question 4

What is the final cause?

Answer 4

Ultimate aim or natural purpose of something, in an example of a pizza it is “to be eaten”

Question 5

What does Intrinsic mean?

Answer 5

In and of itself

Question 6

What does extrinsic mean?

Answer 6

External to

Question 7

What are the four levels of law (that are in a hierarchy)

Answer 7

Eternal Law, Divine Law, Natural Law and Human Law

Question 8

What is conscience?

Answer 8

the ability to reason

Question 9

What are the two parts of conscience according to aquinas?

Answer 9

Synderesis and Conscientia

Question 10

What is Synderesis?

Answer 10

right reason, awareness of the moral principle to do good and avoid evil

Question 11

What is Conscientia?

Answer 11

distinguishes between right and wrong and makes the moral decision

Question 12

What are the 5 primary precepts?

Answer 12

Preservation of the innocent 
Order society 
Worship God 
Education 
Reproduction

Question 13

What are secondary precepts?

Answer 13

derived from the primary precepts, to live in an ordered society leads to rules like “return stolen property”, these are flexible and must be interpreted in the context of the situation

Question 14

What is an interior act?

Answer 14

the intention for performing an act

Question 15

What is an exterior act?

Answer 15

the actual act itself

Question 16

What is the doctrine of double effect?

Answer 16

Where an action is performed with one interior act, but has a double consequence, one of which is in line with primary precepts one which isn’t. The moral agent is judged upon which action they intended to perform,

Question 17

What is a real good?

Answer 17

something that helps us become nearer to the ideal human nature God wants, e.g being sociable

Question 18

What is an apprent good?

Answer 18

something that takes us away from the ideal human, e.g taking drugs to be sociable, Aquinas believed humans could not do evil and instead did apparent goods

Question 19

What are the cardinal virtues?

Answer 19

prudence, justice, temperance and courage

Question 20

What are subordinate aims?

Answer 20

a lesser aim which is the purpose of an act, but which aims towards a higher purpose later

Question 21

What are superior aims?

Answer 21

the further or higher purpose which subordinate aims facilitate

Question 22

What is recta ratio?

Answer 22

Right reason

Question 23

What is the material cause?

Answer 23

In an example of a pizza, it is the ingredients, the substance

Question 24

What is the formal cause?

Answer 24

In an example of a pizza, it is the overall idea of the pizza

Question 25

What is privatio boni?

Answer 25

the abscence of good

Question 26

What does teleological mean?

Answer 26

an ethical view where morality is based on the outcome of the action