Natural Moral Law Flashcards
What type of theory is NML
Deontological: absolutist form of moral decision making based on duty, rule and rights
Who is the key thinker for NML?
Aquinas
What did Aquinas believe about God and the world?
- God is immutable
- God is absolutely good and the purpose of creation reflects this
- Laws of nature reflect God’s nature and regulate the created world
- everythng has a final cause
What did Aquinas believe is the earthy goal?
Eudaimonia
What did Aquinas believe was the final cause?
Beatific Vision
What laws are in the Fourfold Division of Law?
- Eternal Law
- Natural Law
- Divine Law
- Human Law
What are the origins of Natural Moral Law
- does not originate from Christianity
- states there are rightd and moral values that can be understood from human nature and decuded by human reason
- aquinas was heavily inspired by aristotle moulding his ideas to fit Catholicism
What is Eternal Law?
God’s blueprint for the natural and moral order of things.
-> comes from the idea of God as the creator therefore he knows what is going to happen as he designed the world
-> humans should try to live within order as we all have the same common nature (all equal in then eyes of God)
What is Divine Law?
God’s special revelation disclosed to humanity in the Bible and teachings of the Church. It contains truths that are not discoverable by human reasoning only God’s grace
What is Natural Law?
The moral law built into human nature by God revealed by nature and reason. Not dependent on a belief in God or a special revelation
What is Human Law?
Refers to the systems of law built up by human societies on the basis of natural law
What was Aquinas’ guiding principle and what did he establish in order to achieve this?
Good to be done and evil to be avoided -> created the primary precepts in order to achieve this
What is some context behind the Primary Precepts?
Aquinas came up with 3 primary precepts and the Manualists later developed it into 5 when it was adopted into the Catholic Church.
-> Aquinas argued these were universally binding and then said ‘and so forth’ in Summa Theologica implying there was more?
What are the Primary Precepts?
W orship God
O rdered Society
R eproduce
L earning
D efend the Innocent
What are the importance of Primary Precepts?
-> teleological as they are concerned with our end goal
-> necessary for eudaimonia and beatific vision
-> self evident (living in an ordered society provides stable education)
