Natural Moral Law
Background:
• Aristotle developed by Aquinas in Summa Theologica.
• Aristotle - human beings use reason to discover the end or purpose of human life - quite teleo-
logical in focus.
• Aquinas - goal of human life is union with God in next life.
• Deontological theory - however Aquinas would not say so since the term was created after his
death.
• Deontology - rightness/wrongness is judged by its conformity to duties, rules and obligations.
Consequence or outcome is not the focus. The focus is on whether the act conforms to the du-
ties and rules.
• Aquinas Four Fold Division of Law:
- Eternal Law - Law coming from God which is reflected in the universe and nature.
- Divine Law - Laws reveals by God through revelation.
- Natural Moral Law - Moral order discovered through reason, which is ultimately part go
God’s eternal law.
- Human Law - Formulated through understanding of natural law. These appear in our
legal systems.
• Aquinas - “God is that thing which all things seek after” - “Good is to be done and pursued and
evil is to be avoided”
• Aquinas believed that God had instilled in all humans inclinations to behave in certain ways
which led us to highest good.
• Good = when something fulfils its purpose, rather than frustrates it.
• We can be confused about the difference between real and apparent goods.
• Good exterior acts should be accompanied by the right interior intention.
• Applying reason and cultivating virtues (prudence and temperance) helps us to do the good
thing.
Primary Precepts:
1. Preservation of innocent life - All things have a natural desire to carry on living.
2. Reproduction.
3. Educate and care for offspring.
4. Know the truth about God and worship God.
5. To live in an ordered society - this provides a stable basis for the above.
• He ended by saying ‘and so forth’ suggesting it is not a definitive or deontological list.
• Our telos on earth is human flourishing which is helped by the above, however, true happiness is
only found in the beatific vision.
Secondary Precepts:
• Derived from the primary precepts, governing how we should act in specific situations.
• Primary precepts do not change but there is a degree of flexibility in the secondary principles.
• Whatever promotes the final cause is right and whatever goes against it is wrong.
• Good acts lead directly to this.
• Examples:
- PP = reproduction, SP = masturbation, homosexuality and bestiality are wrong.
- PP = education of young and living in ordered society, SP = adultery is wrong where
children lack a father figure or adequate schooling.
- PP = preserve innocent life, SP = abortion is wrong.
Doctrine of Double Effect:
• Double effect allows for an unnatural act/one which is not intrinsically good if the intention was
good.
• Always bad to do a bad act intentionally in order to bring about good consequences.
Background:
• Aristotle developed by Aquinas in Summa Theologica.
• Aristotle - human beings use reason to discover the end or purpose of human life - quite teleo-
logical in focus.
• Aquinas - goal of human life is union with God in next life.
• Deontological theory - however Aquinas would not say so since the term was created after his
death.
• Deontology - rightness/wrongness is judged by its conformity to duties, rules and obligations.
Consequence or outcome is not the focus. The focus is on whether the act conforms to the du-
ties and rules.
• Aquinas Four Fold Division of Law:
- Eternal Law - Law coming from God which is reflected in the universe and nature.
- Divine Law - Laws reveals by God through revelation.
- Natural Moral Law - Moral order discovered through reason, which is ultimately part go
God’s eternal law.
- Human Law - Formulated through understanding of natural law. These appear in our
legal systems.
• Aquinas - “God is that thing which all things seek after” - “Good is to be done and pursued and
evil is to be avoided”
• Aquinas believed that God had instilled in all humans inclinations to behave in certain ways
which led us to highest good.
• Good = when something fulfils its purpose, rather than frustrates it.
• We can be confused about the difference between real and apparent goods.
• Good exterior acts should be accompanied by the right interior intention.
• Applying reason and cultivating virtues (prudence and temperance) helps us to do the good
thing.
Primary Precepts:
1. Preservation of innocent life - All things have a natural desire to carry on living.
2. Reproduction.
3. Educate and care for offspring.
4. Know the truth about God and worship God.
5. To live in an ordered society - this provides a stable basis for the above.
• He ended by saying ‘and so forth’ suggesting it is not a definitive or deontological list.
• Our telos on earth is human flourishing which is helped by the above, however, true happiness is
only found in the beatific vision.
Secondary Precepts:
• Derived from the primary precepts, governing how we should act in specific situations.
• Primary precepts do not change but there is a degree of flexibility in the secondary principles.
• Whatever promotes the final cause is right and whatever goes against it is wrong.
• Good acts lead directly to this.
• Examples:
- PP = reproduction, SP = masturbation, homosexuality and bestiality are wrong.
- PP = education of young and living in ordered society, SP = adultery is wrong where
children lack a father figure or adequate schooling.
- PP = preserve innocent life, SP = abortion is wrong.
Doctrine of Double Effect:
• Double effect allows for an unnatural act/one which is not intrinsically good if the intention was
good.
• Always bad to do a bad act intentionally in order to bring about good consequences.
