Natural moral Law

Question 1

Aquinas said natural law is…

Answer 1

The same for all men. There is a single standard of truth and right for everyone… which is known by everyone.

Question 2

Aquinas - the fourfold division of law

Answer 2

Eternal Law, Divine Law, Natural Moral Law, Human Law

Question 3

Eternal Law

Answer 3

God’s blueprint for humanity, the order - it is eternal and unchanging

Question 4

Divine Law

Answer 4

Eternal law that has been revealed to humans. The Old and New Testament are the Old and New Law

Question 5

Natural Moral Law

Answer 5

How humans can understand God’s eternal law through applying reason - accessible by and applicable to all people.

Question 6

Human Law

Answer 6

Laws devised by humans. They reflect their own circumstances. They shouldn’t contradict natural moral law.

Question 7

Synderesis Rule

Answer 7

“Good is to be done and pursued and evil is to be avoided. All other prefers of the law of nature are based on this.”

Question 8

How do humans know the eternal law

Answer 8

Revelation and Reason

Question 9

What is revelation

Answer 9

It is the way eternal law is revealed to humans in the Old and New Testament. Jesus shows us that God has order intended in his creation

Question 10

What are the 5 primary precepts

Answer 10

Reproduction
Preserve life
Educate children 
Ordered Society
Worship God

Question 11

What are secondary precepts

Answer 11

Things we should/ shouldn’t do because they do/do not uphold a primary precept. They are determined by complex reasoning.

Question 12

Why do humans fail to follow natural law

Answer 12

Although humans can and want to know and follow NML, Original Sin means their perfect relationship with God has been violated so we fall short of what God’s best is for us.
‘Since all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God’

Question 13

Aquinas belief on human nature

Answer 13

Human nature is essentially good, we can never knowingly pursue evil. We only pursue ‘apparent goods’ which don’t fulfil our purpose even though we think they do.

Question 14

Quote for apparent goods

Answer 14

‘The fornicator seeks a pleasure which involves in him a moral guilt’

Question 15

Real and Apparent Goods

Answer 15

Real goods fulfil our telos. Apparent goods feel good but do not actually fulfil our purpose. We must use reason to determine between them.

Question 16

4 Cardinal Virtues

Answer 16

Prudence
Temperance
Fortitude
Justice

Question 17

Theological Virtues

Answer 17

Faith
Hope
Charity

Question 18

The 7 Vices

Answer 18

Pride
Wrath
Lust
Envy
Gluttony
Greed 
Sloth

Question 19

Interior vs Exterior acts

Answer 19

There has to be good intention AND good act
To do a good act with the intention to impress someone is wrong because this shouldn’t be why you do it.
But a good intention doesn’t make bad acts good.
The ultimate question is whether God is glorified by that action.

Question 20

Double Effect

Answer 20

If doing something morally good has a morally bad side effect it is ethically okay to do it provided the bad side effect wasn’t intended.

Question 21

Double Effect Quote

Answer 21

‘Nothing hinders one act from having two effects, only one of which is intended, the other is beside the intention.’

Question 22

Pojman quote on double effect

Answer 22

‘It is sometimes permissible to do a good act despite knowing that it will bring about bad consequences’

Question 23

Strength of double effect

Answer 23

It takes intention into account
It can’t be twisted to allow bad actions
It retains the strength + absolutist nature of NML

Question 24

Weakness of double effect

Answer 24

Bad acts can bring about proportionately good effects so it is illogical to ban them in all circumstances
According to this, Jesus’ self sacrifice wasn’t permissible because it was a ‘bad’ act so it is contradictory.
Not every bad act is as bad as each other

Question 25

Aquinas quote on apparent good

Answer 25

‘No evil can be desirable either by natural appetite or by conscious will. It is sought indirectly, namely because it is the consequence of some good’