Natural Law

Describe Natural Law in simple terms

Deontological, aristotelian, moral acts achive telos, eudimonia is the ultimate goal and for Aquinas that is God. 5 primary precepts

What is synderesis

Key precept and it states do good and avoid evil

What are the five primary precepts

Protect life

Worship God

Educate

Keep and ordered society

Reproduce

What are secondary precepts

Rules that come from the primary precepts e.g don’t have an abortion comes from protect life

What is a real good?

Real goods - things that are good for you and help you achive eudimonia. Align with reason and truth. Contribute to happines. For example withstanding temptation and lust for another person when you are in a relationship. It might not be immediately enjoyable but i nthe long run it is beneficial

What is an apparent good?

Seem good at the time but are not good for you as a whole. Based off impluses and emotion. E.g cheating on your spouse or cheating on a test.

Why do humans do bad things

Because they are mistaken by apparent goods, and they are mistaken by what they truly desire. Pleasurable desire leads to disaster and not what a person actually wants

What is the double effect

Actions can have two effects, one can uphold a precept but not another. An action can have many effects but only one intention, it is intention that matters

Example of the double effect

A person killing another out of self defence. The intention that the person had (to defend themselves) is what matters as it is a deontological theory, if the person wanted to hurt the other that would be bad so only proportinal force can be used.

What denomination primarily follows natural law

The catholic church

What did the greek stoics say in relation to natural law

Human beings have a divine spark enabling them to discover eternal laws necessary for human happiness.

What is universal good?

achiving a pleasure that satisfies the whole body

What did Aquinas write about the ultimate end

It cannot be found in thisworld but only by God. ‘Ultimate and perfect beatitude can consist only in the vision of the divine essence’

What are the four tiers of law

Eternal law

Divine Law

Natural Law

Human Law

Eternal law

Law that is part of the mind of God. it is unchanging forever and it is not relative to different people.

Divine law

Commands and teaching that are found in the Bible

Natural Law

Possible for all humans to have, not reliant on the bible, human reason, marks humans from animals

Human law

Customs and practices from society. Human law is only a proper law if it is good and in acordance with divine and natural law.

telos

Aristotelian principle which states that every person with free will acts. Human acts are to achive happiness or edudimonia. For Aquinas Eudimonia is heaven