The four tiers of law Flashcards
What is the ultimate source of moral goodness and law according to Aquinas?
The ultimate source of moral goodness and law is God’s omnibenevolent nature, which created and ordered the universe with a divine plan known as the eternal law.
What is the eternal law according to Aquinas?
The eternal law is God’s plan, built into the nature of everything that exists, according to His omnibenevolent nature.
What is the divine law?
The divine law is God’s revelation to humans in the Bible.
What is the natural law according to Aquinas?
The natural law is the moral law God created in human nature, discoverable by human reason.
What is human law and how does it derive authority?
Human law is the laws humans make, which should be based on the natural and divine law. Human law gains its authority by deriving from the natural and divine law, which ultimately derive authority from God’s nature.
What does Aquinas mean by the participation of the eternal law in the rational creature?
The natural law is the reflection of this eternal law within human beings, allowing them to understand and adhere to moral principles through their rational faculties.
