The-Fundamental-of-MORAL-THEOLOGY-PPT-I

Fundamental of Moral Theology

Key Concepts

  • Creation by God

    • God created man in His own image, sharing His blessed life.

    • God’s plan is purely good, drawing humanity to seek, know, and love Him.

    • All human beings and goods are created by God, and cannot define their own purpose.

  • Moral Theology Defined

    • Explores the end of man (beatitude) and means of achieving it through right actions aligned with God’s law and grace.

The Subjective Last End Act - Purpose

  • Purpose of Human Actions (St. Thomas Aquinas)

    • Every human action is performed with a specific purpose, known as its END.

    • The END = the aim of the action and the goal the person strives to achieve.

Types of Ends

  • Ends can be:

    • Absolute: Ends that are sought for themselves

    • Subordinate: Ends that are means towards achieving another end

  • Last End: The ultimate goal that does not serve as a means.

Happiness as the Subjective Last End

  • Happiness Defined

    • Coined as the ultimate subjective last end.

    • Described as possessing what completely satisfies all human desires.

  • Pursuit of Happiness

    • While sought by all, understanding what truly fulfills these desires is complex.

The Objective Last End

  • God’s Purpose in Creation

    • God acts with intent to share His perfections and goodness, lacking personal gain.

    • Creation is aimed at communicating God’s perfections, fulfilling His purpose.

  • Action of Agents

    • All actions have an end: irrational creatures follow natural inclinations while rational creatures deliberate and decide with intellect and will.

  • Human Purpose

    • Created to know, love, and serve God for ultimate salvation and happiness in life and afterlife.

Understanding Moral Theology

  • Definition

    • The study of human behavior (mores) according to God’s revelations.

    • Guides actions toward supernatural ends via revelation.

  • Unity of Dogmatic and Moral Theology

    • These branches exist for teaching purposes but share the same theological sources: Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and the Magisterium.

Natural and Supernatural Morals

  • Moral Philosophy

    • Studies behavior for achieving natural ends through natural reason.

    • Synonymous with ethics and does not necessitate external guidance.

  • Moral Theology

    • Focuses on behavior elevated by the supernatural order and needs faith for understanding.

    • Stresses that morality impacts personal identity; unjust actions lead to becoming unjust.

Division of Moral Theology

  • Three Parts of Moral Study

    1. Fundamental Questions: Covers principles of morality applicable across human behavior.

    2. Special Morals: Discusses specific fields of behavior, moral norms, and virtues.

    3. Sacramental Obligations: Explores responsibilities related to sacraments, more associated with natural morality as a base for supernatural morality.