Thomistic Natural Law and Sexual Ethics (October 9th)

Question 1

What is Nature/Natural?!Classical (Greek/Roman; Christian) (3)

Answer 1

• Intrinsic and universal among particulars: Ex. All particular humans participate in same (universal) human nature
• Prior to society, man-made law
• All things: matter + form

Question 2

What is nature/natural for Aristotle? (4)

Answer 2

Nature based in “form”
Think: DNA
Organizes/determines species, powers
Final end/purpose (Gk. telos) = completion of powers

Question 3

What is human nature according to Aquinas? (2+3)

Answer 3

• Human body
• Rational soul (form)
  - Rational
  - Animal
  - Vegetative

Question 4

What is law according to Aquinas? (quote + 1 +2)

Answer 4

“A dictate of practical reason emanating from a leader”

All just laws based in divine law: Revealed Law, Natural Law

Question 5

2 Approaches to natural Law

Answer 5

Order of Nature

Order of Reason

Question 6

(Approaches to Natural Law) Order of Nature

Answer 6

“focused on the physical and biological structures given in nature as the source of morality”

Ex. Stoics, Ulpian

Question 7

(Approaches to Natural Law) Order of Reason

Answer 7

“focused on the human capacity to discover in experience what befits human well-being” (Gula, 223)
Ex. Cicero

Question 8

Aquinas: Eternal law in all creation (3)

Answer 8

Vegetation
Animals
Person

Question 9

In theological ethics, what do good acts do? (+people)

Answer 9

Aristotle, Aquinas

Aid human telos

Question 10

Human Teloi (depending if creation, animals, human)

Answer 10

1. As creation: preserve own life
2. As animals: sexually reproduce and raise offspring
3. As humans: do good & avoid evil; live in society & worship God

Question 11

2 Teloi of Sex

Answer 11

Primary end : procreation

Secondary end: Union (animals: bodies, humans: souls)

Question 12

Gula on physicalism (3 - 2 on orders)

Answer 12

YES
Order of nature over order of reason
order of nature does not “dictate morality;”provides data/opportunities for flourishing (p. 235)
Order of reason emphasis: non-biological
e.g., rational, affective, intuitive, aesthetic, spiritual

Question 13

John Paul II on Physicalism

Answer 13

NO
Human = rational + animal!
“the human person cannot be reduced to a freedom which is self-designing, but entails a particular spiritual and bodily structure” (VS48)
Openness to procreation in sex “signifies the complete acceptance of the other [i.e., spouse]” (EvangeliumVitae23).

Question 14

Other critiques of natural law

Answer 14

1. Ought-is fallacy(Hume)
2. Naturalism
3. Meaning as socially constructed
4. Protestant (some): sola Scriptura