Natural moral law

Question 1

Who is the key scholar?

Answer 1

Aquinas.

Question 2

What does telos mean?

Answer 2

The purpose/ goal of something.

Question 3

What does Aquinas believe human purpose is?

Answer 3

To reestablish a right relationship with God after it was broken by Adam + Eve.
Gives humans eternal life with God in heaven.

Question 4

What is the synderesis principle?

Answer 4

That humans should ‘do good and avoid evil’.

Question 5

What are Aquinas’s 4 laws and how do they link?

Answer 5

1. Eternal law - God created everything through his will and wisdom and is revealed through -
2. Divine law - sacred text and teachings of the Church, made known in -
3. Natural law - human ability to naturally know what is right from -
4. Human law - systems of law based on natural law

Question 6

What is the purpose of the 5 primary precepts?

Answer 6

Brings humans closer to God and closer to eternal life with Him.

Question 7

What are the 5 primary precepts?

Answer 7

1. Worship
2. Live in an ordered society
3. To reproduce
4. To learn
5. Defend the innocent.

Question 8

What is the purpose of the secondary precepts?

Answer 8

They’re rules to help humans follow the primary precepts.

Question 9

What are real and apparent goods?

Answer 9

Humans want to do good acts but often confuse what they believe is a good act with what ACTUALLY IS a good act.

Question 10

How do humans ensure they use real goods rather than apparent goods?

Answer 10

By practicing the use of virtues.

Question 11

Why was the doctrine of double effect put forward?

Answer 11

Primary precepts should always be used for decision making BUT there can be moral dilemma which means good can’t happen without a bad consequence.

Question 12

What does the doctrine of double effect say about consequences?

Answer 12

ALWAYS wrong to do a bad act to bring about a good consequence BUT sometimes okay to do good act with bad consequence. (only if unintended side effect)

Question 13

In doctrine of double effect, what are the 4 conditions needed to be met to allow setting aside the secondary precepts while upholding the primary precepts.

Answer 13

1. Nature of the act - must be morally good or neutral
2. Means-end - bad effect must NOT be the means in which the good effect is achieved.
3. Right intention - ONLY intention is to achieve a good effect
4. Proportionality - good effect must be proportionate to the significance of the bad effect.