NATURAL LAW ETHICS

Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics

Aquinas follows ________________, that is, to live a life of activity expressing reason well

intellect and will

For Aquinas, man is created by God with ____________ and __________

“human flourishing” or “the Good Life”

this could only be attained by inclining one’s will towards God

teleological being

For Aquinas, the human person is a _______ created by God with a particular function and purpose of achieving perfect happiness in union with God

1.) God - source of existence

2.) Angels - non-corporeal beings

3.) Humans - corporeal beings

4.) Animals - non-rational beings

5.) Plants - organic life

Hierachy of Beings (Man’s condition should be viewed in hierachy)

Intellect

Through this, we comprehened the turth behind/about everything in the world.

• speculative intellect/reasoning

• practical reasoning

Both assist us in recognizing what we ought to pursue and what courses of action is needed to achieve it.

Will

Through this, we are capable of responding to judgments.

Because of ther innate rational capacities

Why is the human species a higher being?

deliberate will

Through this, man is inclined to do good and bad

Moral Agent

Man is a ____________ and has the natural tendency to do good.

Will

This allows man to perform moral acts

eternal law = natural inclination

Every creature of God is bounded by ____________

Eternal Law

This is God’s wisdom that directs the movements and actions of his creatures in their appropriate ways towards their proper end.

Natural Law

This is God’s imprint on the whole of nature and the principles of its proper action.

What is the fulfillment of the natural law for humans?

moral precepts

In order for the Natural Law to remain dynamically active in guiding us to act morally, we must be constantly disposed to ________ = moral law

Moral Law (Do good and avoid evil!)

the divine/eternal law expressed in human nature

Synderesis

innate disposition of the human mind by virture of which we are able to grasp the first principle of the natural law without the need for inquiry

Conscience

the natural tendency of man to apply such principle to concrete life situation

1.) The action is good in intself.

2.) The action aims at the good end.

3.) The action is done in an appropriate circumstance.

Conditions for An Act to be Morally Good

• Self-preservation

• Procreation

• Just-dealings with others

Three Moral Obligations

self-preservation

to cherish life (healthy living)

procreation

to propagate species (in the context of marriage)

just-dealings with others

to live in peace with others

Sinfulness

We don’t listen to divine and natural law because of _________. This has corrupted and misdirect our inclinations.

The Principle of Double Effect

There are times when our actions could have good and bad effects. It is still permissible to perform an ct that could cause bad effects.

• The act in itself is good

• The agent does not intend the bad affect

• The bad effect is not, in fact, the means to the good effects

• The badness of the bad effects does not sufficiently outweigh the goodness of the good effect

The Principle of Double Effect (Conditions)

It is still permissible to perform an act that could cause bad effects for the following reasons:

the good

Every human actions aims at an end → _________

the good

It is the object of desire and it is that which motivates us to act. The good also brings us completeness.

happiness

The end of the perfection of our rational capacities is _________

St. Thomas Aquinas

His moral theory aims to give you a guide on how we can establish a “habitual” moral act

Beatific Vision

shows God as the only perfect good for it is only Him who could satisfy all the desire of our human heart

Beatific Vision

knowing and loving God

grace

If we are incapable of having a beatific vision, we can attain happiness through ________.

God’s grace

It is necessary to perfect human nature by healing the wounds of sin. It enables us follow the law’s ultimate direction and achieve virtue’s perfect of our own human capacities — gift from God to overcome the defect.

having an intimate relationship with God through loving God

What is happiness in Christian Ethics?