NET: Aquinas’ Deontological NML

Question 1

What is a central aspect to NML that is also a central concept in Aristotle’s VE?

Answer 1

Reason.
“To disparage the dictates of reason is equivalent to condemning the command of God” - T. Aquinas

Question 2

What does Cicero say about natural law in his book, De Re Publica?

Answer 2

‘True law is right reason in agreement with nature.
It is applied universally and is unchanging and everlasting…
There will be no different laws in Rome and Athens…
But one eternal and unchangable law will be valid for all nations and all times,’

Question 3

Whose approach to natural law did Aquinas build his thoughts on?

Answer 3

Aristotle
‘…that which is natural is unchangable, and has the same over everywhere…’
- Nichomachean Ethics

Question 4

Whose writings, in what book of the bible was the influence of natural law found?

Answer 4

The writings of St Paul in the book of Romans

‘Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves…the requirements of the law are written on their hearts’
Romans 2:14-15

Question 5

What does absolutist mean and why is Aquinas’ view on NML absolutist?

Answer 5

Absolutists are those who hold absolute principles - they don’t rely on anything else, they’re universally valid, they’re ‘total’.

Aquinas believed morality doesn’t change but rather remains constant - it doesn’t depend on circumstances or the time we live in.

Question 6

According to Aquinas, how is a moral life lived?

Answer 6

A moral life is one that is lived ‘according to reason’.

Question 7

‘Law is nothing else…
- Summa Theologica, Aquinas

Answer 7

…than an ordination of reason for the common good…’
- Summa Theologica, Aquinas

Question 8

What are the 5 Primary Precepts that describe the purpose of life for Aquinas?

POWER

Answer 8

• Preservation of life
• Ordered society
• Worshipping God
• Education
• Reproduction

Question 9

What are Aquinas’ 4 tiers of law?

Answer 9

• Eternal Law; principles only known by God.
• Divine Law; the bible, reflects the eternal law.
• Natural Law; theory that an eternal & absolute moral truth can be discovered in nature found by reason.
• Human Law; human made laws to capture natural law (leads to secondary precepts)

Question 10

What are the secondary precepts?

Answer 10

They emerge from the primary precepts, they are more relative which makes NML more flexible.

Question 11

Give the secondary precepts for P…

Answer 11

Preservation of life:
- Suicide
- Murder
- Abortion

Question 12

Give secondary precepts for O…

Answer 12

Ordered society:
- Equality
- Don’t lie
- Work together

Question 13

Give secondary precepts for W…

Answer 13

Worshiping God:
- Follow his rules
- Follow teachings of the Bible

Question 14

Give secondary precepts for E…

Answer 14

Education:
- Cost free
- Compulsory
- Equal chance

Question 15

Give secondary precepts for R…

Answer 15

Reproduction
- Contraception
- Abortion
- Agrees with right to a child

Question 16

What is the gift god has given to us to enable us to flourish?

Answer 16

The capacity to reason

Question 17

What can lead to the laws that enable human flourishing, without the knowledge of God?

Answer 17

Reason.

Question 18

Where are natural laws applied and what should they be used for?

Answer 18

They are universal and timeless, they should be used to keep order in society.

Question 19

What is the doctrine of double effect?

Answer 19

If an action is intended to be good but there is a morally bad side effect, it is ethically/morally acceptable.

Question 20

For the doctrine of double effect to apply, there are certain aspects that must be present.
What are they?

Answer 20

The action must be…
- Proportional to the cause (Proportionalism)
- Appropriate

• The good result must be achieved independently of the bad one.

Question 21

What does ‘casuistry’ mean?

Answer 21

Use of overcomplexity of reasoning to make a point

Question 22

In a situation of double effect, what does NML say is more important?

Answer 22

It says that our intentions that are important, rather than concequences.

But it does have to be proportionate.

Question 23

What is the difference between ‘real’ and ‘apparent’ goods?

Answer 23

Chasing a ‘real’ good will result in preservation or improvement of self (edging closer to imago dei), while ‘apparent’ goods only appear to be good and ultimately lead us to fall short of our potential.

Question 24

How can we determine the ‘real’ goods from the ‘apparent’ goods?

Answer 24

Through using reason

Question 25

What does proportionalism say?

Answer 25

It covers with the idea that there agreed, important moral rules that we should follow - but, there are circumstances where the rules can be broken if there is a proportionate reason to support this different view.