Natural Moral Law

Question 1

What does ‘teleos’ mean?

Answer 1

end/purpose

Question 2

What does ‘deon’ mean?

Answer 2

duty

Question 3

What does Aristotle say is the purpose of life?

Answer 3

Eudamonia (human flourishment)

Question 4

what does aquinas say is the puropse of life?

Answer 4

To reach Eudamonia with God in Heaven.

Question 5

Who is the main scholar associated with NML?

Answer 5

St Thomas Aquinas

Question 6

What are Aquinas’ Five Primary Precepts?

Answer 6

Preserve life
Order society
Worship God
Educate the young
Reproduce

Question 7

Aquinas believed that ‘the world can be explored through ‘what’ rather than faith?’

Answer 7

reason

Question 8

Is NML Deontological or Teleological?

Answer 8

Deontological

Question 9

who inspired Aquinas?

Answer 9

Aristotle

Question 10

what must we use our reason to do?

Answer 10

to observe nature and and work out natural moral law for ourselves.

Question 11

what is the Synderisis rule?

Answer 11

“That good is to be done, and evil to be avoided.”

Question 12

after the primary precepts, what is there?

Answer 12

Sencondary precepts

Question 13

what does nml assist us with?

Answer 13

directing actions in such a way that they may reach their eternal destiny (teleos) with God.

Question 14

What is cultural relatavism?

Answer 14

a view that a persons moral beliefs should be judged in the context of their culture.

Question 15

are primary precepts deontological and teleological?

Answer 15

Teleological.

Question 16

what are humans naturally orientated towards?

Answer 16

doing good.

Question 17

what is the Beatic vision and who believes in it?

Answer 17

Aquinas’ belief in the ultimate direct self-communication with God.

Question 18

What are Aristotle’s four causes?

Answer 18

material cause
efficient cause (to get things done)
formal cause
final cause (goal)

Question 19

“since all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”

Answer 19

• Romans 3:23

Question 20

why will humans fall short of God’s expectations of them?

Answer 20

because we live in a fallen world where we violated our perfect relationship with God and the natural order instituted by God.

Question 21

why did aquinas believe human nature was essentially good?

Answer 21

NML is within all people through reason. we are orientated towards the good

Question 22

what is a real good?

Answer 22

something that is good according to NML

Question 23

What is an apparent good?

Answer 23

when we are unknowingly in persuit of something that is not perfection. They do not fit this human ideal.

Question 24

A quote for apparent goods?

Answer 24

“it is sought indirectly, namely because it is a consequence of some good”

Question 25

Name the 4 steps of apparent goods:

Answer 25

1. humans naturally strive for perfection 2. humans would never knowingly pursue evil 3. when they do evil its an apparent good 4. this is just an error in judgement.

Question 26

what are the 3 theological virtues?

Answer 26

hope: the beatic vision love: love of god above all things faith: scripture and god

Question 27

what are the four cardinal virtues?

Answer 27

prudence (practical wisdom) justice fortitude (courage) temperance (self-cultivation)

Question 28

which is better: an interior or exterior act?

Answer 28

interior as its what one intends to do, which is the most important thing

Question 29

whats the difference between interior and exterior acts?

Answer 29

distinguish between intention and observable act

Question 30

what is the doctrine of double effect?

Answer 30

if an action goes against human reason (precepts) but the effect is the accidental/unintended result of an action that follows the precepts then its acceptable

Question 31

example of the doctrine of double effect:

Answer 31

if a woman has an eptopic pregnancy, and aborting the child (breaking 'preserve life') would mean that the mother would live, (preserving her life) meaning that the abortion is acceptable.

Question 32

quote from aquinas on the doctrine of double effect? ("nothing hinders one act...")

Answer 32

"nothing hinders one act from having two effects, only one of which is intended while the other is beside the intervention"

Question 33

whats the difference between aquinas' and the catholic church's opinions on virtues and rules?

Answer 33

aquinas sees them as equally important C.Church sees that rules are more important than virtues

Question 34

what is manualism?

Answer 34

preference for a morality of obligation and rules led (17th cent.) scholars to write manuals on moral theology, designed to be taught to the clergy to apply NML into the Catholic church.

Question 35

what is proportionalism?

Answer 35

a more applicable and modern version of NML. proportionalism = NML + the situation

Question 36

give an example of a proportionalist scholar:

Answer 36

Bernard Hoose McCormick

Question 37

why was proportionalism invented?

Answer 37

they believed that NML was too deontologically rigid, magisterium and confession-orientated etc.

Question 38

what does mccormick say on proportionalism?

Answer 38

"theologians have - without disowning causistry - disowned an excessively causistic approach to moral life"

Question 39

list some strengths to NML:

Answer 39

based on reason focused on search for eudamonia christian version unites faith and reason Absoloute framework of primary precepts clear cut/straightforward common, universal rules timeless (debatable) simple ways to find soloutions

Question 40

list some weaknesses to NML:

Answer 40

how do you decide what is 'moral'? duty bound so isnt adaptable nature changes - evoloution outdated - assumes we believe ina purposeful universe aquinas is a hypocrite - if we all must follow them, why didnt he have kids?