Natural Moral Law

Natural Moral Law

1. Aristotle

   • Efficient and final cause
     • Everything has a final 'good'
       • This is achieved by fulfilling the purpose for which it was designed.
       • Everything has a telos/purpose
   • The purpose for humans is to achieve happiness (Eudaimonia)
     • This is achieved through the use of reason to become a rational human being.

2. Aquinas

   • Primary precepts
     • - Worship God - Ordered society - Reproduce - Learn - Defend the innocent
     • The secondary precepts can be figured out from the primary precepts if reason is used correctly.
     • Direct revalation from God.
     • Absolute laws
   • The final purpose of a human being is communion with God
   • Good
     • Real
       • "All men tend towards the good."
         • Humans cannot seek evil because we are made in the image of God.
     • Apparent
       • An act which appears good, but is morally wrong.
   • The 4 Laws
     • - Eternal Law: God's will.- Divine Law: The Bible, 10 Commandments, teachings of Jesus.- Natural Law: Use of human reason to do good and avoid evil.- Human Law: The laws we create.
     • The laws work like a hierarchy where each level is based on the level before (i.e you cannot have natural law without divine law). Therefore, all laws come from God.

3. Based on reason

   • "To disparage the dictate of reason is equivalent to condemninng the command of God."
     • To ignore your reason is to ignore God.
   • Only humans have reason
     • Reason is a gift from God to help us know our purpose.
   • To sin is to go against our reason or to seek an apparent good.

4. The cardinal virtues represent the human qualities that reason suggests are required in order to live a moral life and achieve the final cause.

   • - Prudence- Justice- Fortitude- Temperance

5. A priori, deontological.Objective

6. "True law is right reason in accordance with nature." (Cicero)