Theme 2B: NL and the role of virtues and goods

Question 1

What is a Virtue?

Answer 1

• A good attribute
• A divine standard within the beautification vision
• From Greek word ‘Arete’

Question 2

Where are the revealed virtues found?

Answer 2

In St Pauls Letter: 1 Corinthians 13

Question 3

What does Paul Letter say about the revealed virtues?

Answer 3

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love”

Question 4

What is the revealed virtue Faith?

Answer 4

• More than intellectual acknowledgment of the divine
• An action or will for Aquinas
• ‘An act of intellect which assents to the divine truth at the command of the will, moved by God’s grace’
• Involves the whole person

Question 5

What is the revealed virtue Hope?

Answer 5

• The constant and consistent trust in achieving the beatific vision
• An inspired positive state of being, a spiritual energy that drives the pursuit for the final end
• Pure form of desire focused on only the highest aim
• It is an underlying virtue that supports the moral virtues

Question 6

What is the revealed virtue love?

Answer 6

• The greater of all revealed virtues
• Love for God is reflected in the love for ones neighbour
• The real key to Aquinas view of morality
• The one virtues that actively directs all other virtues towards God
• Love has the healing property that restores our ‘fallen’ nature

Question 7

Why are they called revealed virtues?

Answer 7

They are found in Pauls letters in the Bible

Question 8

Why are the revealed virtues superlative virtues?

Answer 8

They define and direct all other virtues
They are aspirational as its what we aim for

Question 9

What does cardinal virtues mean?

Answer 9

Cultivation of specific natural virtues

Question 10

What are the 4 cardinal virtues?

Answer 10

• Prudence
• Temperance
• Courage
• Justice

Question 11

What is the cardinal virtue prudence?

Answer 11

• Being able to make sound judgements in reasoning
• Application of ‘wisdom concerning human affairs’
• Involves being aware of both the moral principles established through natural law but also the situation that the principles need to be applied
• The capacity and competency of rational evaluation of circumstances

Question 12

What is the cardinal virtue temperance?

Answer 12

• About moderation
• Involves sobriety and restraint
• Has the ability to purify and refine physical pleasures
• Part of temperance is also the virtue of humility
• Restrains vices such as anger and vanity

Question 13

What are the three revealed virtues?

Answer 13

• Faith
• Hope
• Love

Question 14

What is the cardinal virtue of courage?

Answer 14

• Sometimes referred to as fortitude
• Incorporates discipline, patience, endurance and perseverance in difficult circumstances
• A courageous person will not be broken by stress and sorrow
• Encourages nobility of character
• Not controlled by fear and not subject to reckless, irresponsible or rash behaviour

Question 15

What is the cardinal virtue of justice?

Answer 15

• Has a specific focus on our actions towards others
• More to do with how our actions are governed than our own character
• Covers law and individual cases
• Involves how the way matters are administered
• Does not mean equality for all but recognises individual needs

Question 16

Why did Aquinas think that developing certain virtues was important?

Answer 16

• Foundation of all things
• Help humans life a moral life
• Must be infused by the divine
• Beatific vision

Question 17

What is an interior act?

Answer 17

The intention of an act

Question 18

What is an exterior act?

Answer 18

The act itself

Question 19

What is the end that Aquinas values?

Answer 19

God

Question 20

What did Aquinas believe about the intention and the act?

Answer 20

Both were important

Question 21

What does Aquinas believe about acts?

Answer 21

• That acts are intrinsically good or bad because human beings act in accordance with their ultimate purpose, God is glorified

Question 22

What is double effect?

Answer 22

Even if a good act has bad consequences, it is still right to do the act, even if it was known that bad consequences would result.

Question 23

What is the important issue in double effect?

Answer 23

The intention

Question 24

What are the 4 conditions in double effect to be met to make the action morally permissible?

Answer 24

• Evil effects are not intentional
• The immediate effect is good in itself
• Evil is not made a means to obtain the good effect
• That the good effect be as important at least as the evil effect

Question 25

What is an example demonstrating double effect?

Answer 25

• Treating a pregnant woman of cancer in order to save her life but at the same destroys the unborn child.

Question 26

What did Aquinas believe about humans?

Answer 26

• Humans were mainly good because we are created by God
• Natural law is within all of us.

Question 27

What did Aquinas state about evil?

Answer 27

‘No evil can be desirable, either by natural appetite or by conscience will’

Question 28

What is an apparent good?

Answer 28

Something that does not fit with the perfect human ideal

Question 29

What is an real good?

Answer 29

Something that helps humans achieve their telos

Question 30

What is an example of real and apparent goods?

Answer 30

• An adulterer committing adultery because he or she believes it is good
• For Aquinas it is an error in reason as the action prevents the person from drawing close to what God intends

Question 31

What did Aquinas use as an example for real and apparent goods?

Answer 31

‘A fornicator seeks pleasure which involves him in moral guilt’

Question 32

How do you distinguish between real and apparent goods?

Answer 32

• The human must use reason correctly and choose the right thing to do
• Aquinas realised this was not always easy as we may be tempted to do things we enjoy which may not be good for us