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    Chapter 3 - Natural Law

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    Thomas Aquinas developed five arguments for the existence of God based on Aristotle's theory of causes. Aquinas distinguished four types of law: eternal law (God's rational purpose), natural law (dictates of reason), human law (imposed by societies), and divine law (standards for salvation). Natural law comprises precepts from eternal law governing beings with reason, primarily to pursue good and avoid evil. This provides an objective, universal foundation for morality. Secondary precepts guide specific behaviors but are fallible human creations, sometimes accurately reflecting our real goods and sometimes only apparent goods.

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    Chapter 3 - Natural Law

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    Thomas Aquinas developed five arguments for the existence of God based on Aristotle's theory of causes. Aquinas distinguished four types of law: eternal law (God's rational purpose), natural law (dictates of reason), human law (imposed by societies), and divine law (standards for salvation). Natural law comprises precepts from eternal law governing beings with reason, primarily to pursue good and avoid evil. This provides an objective, universal foundation for morality. Secondary precepts guide specific behaviors but are fallible human creations, sometimes accurately reflecting our real goods and sometimes only apparent goods.

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    CHAPTER 3 - NATURAL LAW

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    Thomas Aquinas developed five arguments for the existence of God based on Aristotle's theory of causes. Aquinas distinguished four types of law: eternal law (God's rational purpose), natural law (dictates of reason), human law (imposed by societies), and divine law (standards for salvation). Natural law comprises precepts from eternal law governing beings with reason, primarily to pursue good and avoid evil. This provides an objective, universal foundation for morality. Secondary precepts guide specific behaviors but are fallible human creations, sometimes accurately reflecting our real goods and sometimes only apparent goods.

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    43 views2 pages

    Chapter 3 - Natural Law

    Uploaded by

    ddddddaaaaeeee
    Thomas Aquinas developed five arguments for the existence of God based on Aristotle's theory of causes. Aquinas distinguished four types of law: eternal law (God's rational purpose), natural law (dictates of reason), human law (imposed by societies), and divine law (standards for salvation). Natural law comprises precepts from eternal law governing beings with reason, primarily to pursue good and avoid evil. This provides an objective, universal foundation for morality. Secondary precepts guide specific behaviors but are fallible human creations, sometimes accurately reflecting our real goods and sometimes only apparent goods.

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    CHAPTER 3 - NATURAL LAW

    1. Recognize how Thomas Aquinas made use of Ancient Greeks concepts to provide
    a rational grounding to an ethical theory based on the Christian faith

    St. Thomas Aquinas had come up with five ways to prove the existence of God.
    The first four of which are called the Cosmological arguments and the fifth is called the
    Teleological arguments. They are as follows:

    1. Argument from Motion


    2. Argument from Causation
    3. Argument from Contingency
    4. Argument from Degrees
    5. Teleological Argument or Intelligent Design

    Aquinas' five arguments for proving the existence of God relate to Aristotles'
    theory of causes since Aquinas' ideas were heavily influenced by Aristotle's views.
    Aristotle's account of God as the First Mover (who was the sole cause of the movement
    of everything) provided a premise for Aquinas' Teleological arguments, especially the
    Argument for Motion and Argument for Causation.

    2. Identify the natural law in distinction from, but also in relation to the other types of
    law mentioned by Aquinas: eternal law, human law, divine law

    Aquinas distinguishes four kinds of law: (1) eternal law; (2) natural law; (3)
    human law; and (4) divine law.
    By “Eternal Law” Aquinas means God’s rational purpose and plan for all things,
    and because the Eternal Law is part of God’s mind then it has always, and will always,
    exist. But the Eternal Law is not simply something that God decided at some point to
    write.
    By Natural Law, Aquinas thinks that the answer is reasonable and that it is this
    that makes us distinct from rats and rocks. What is right for me and you as humans are
    to act according to reason. If we act according to reason then we are partaking in the
    Natural Law.

    Human laws are not generated by our reason but rather they are imposed by
    governments, groups, clubs, societies, etc.

    Divine law is concerned with those standards that must be satisfied by a human
    being to achieve eternal salvation. One cannot discover divine law by natural reason
    alone; the precepts of divine law are disclosed only through divine revelation.

    3. Apply the precepts of the natural law to contemporary moral concerns


    The natural law is comprised of those precepts of the eternal law that govern the
    behavior of beings possessing reason and free will. The first primary precept is that good
    is to be pursued and done and evil avoided. He thinks that this is the guiding principle for
    all our decision-making. Here it is worth noting that Aquinas holds a natural law theory of
    morality: what is good and evil, according to Aquinas, is derived from the rational nature
    of human beings. Good and evil are thus both objective and universal.

    Aquinas also introduces what he calls the Human Law which gives rise to what
    he calls “Secondary Precepts”. These might include such things as do not drive above
    70mph on a motorway, do not kidnap people, always wear a helmet when riding a bike,
    do not hack into someone’s bank account. Secondary precepts are not generated by our
    reason but rather are imposed by governments, groups, clubs, societies, etc.

    However, the primary precepts that derive from the Natural Law are quite
    general, such as, pursue good and shun evil. So we need to create secondary precepts
    which can actually guide our day-to-day behavior. But we are fallible so sometimes we
    get these secondary precepts wrong, sometimes we get them right. When they are
    wrong they only reflect our apparent goods. When they are right they reflect our real
    goods.

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