Aquinas

How is the natural law related to the eternal law?

- Just the eternal law however it applies to human beings and rational creatures - All the stuff from the eternal law that applies to us is the Natural law - Any human beings can figure out the natural law by using their reason - God is the proper authority for these laws

What are the different kinds of law?

1. Eternal Law (Q.93) God's plan for all of creation Everything that happens is part of this plan Everything was made from god Compares it to a craftsman plan It's an order of reason People can't comprehend this eternal law God is the proper authority for these laws Commands things to act in ways that particular way Duck Law Particle Law Eternal law just is god Only way to understand god is to be god To understand this is to have perfect beatitude Having a knowledge of any kind of truth is knowing a part of the eternal law 2. Natural Law (Q.94) Just the eternal law however it applies to human beings and rational creatures All the stuff from the eternal law that applies to us is the Natural law Any human beings can figure out the natural law by using their reason God is the proper authority for these laws 3. Human Law (Q.95) Proper authorities for these laws are Congress or the board at loyola Laws that human beings pass 4. Divine Law- Revealed Law God is the proper authority for these laws God Intervenes in history to give these commandments The Old Law 10 Commandments (Moises) Things you find in the old testament God gave these commandments to Moises The New Law Jesus Commandments

How do we know the natural law?

1. Known Per Se in its own right They are Self-Evident Example: Bachelors (Subject) are unmarried (Predicate) Bachelors have this feature of being unmarried Notion of a bachelor = unmarried male Notion = Definition When the predicate appears in the notion of the subject it is known per se in its own right 2. Known Per Se as regards to us Example of a known right "per se" as regards to us Human Beings (Subject) are rational (Predicate) Notion of a Human Being: Rational animal The difference is that everyone knows a bachelor is unmarried, it is self evident to everybody Not everybody knows this, it is not self evident to everybody

What is Aquinas' definition of law (his account of law in general)?

1. Order of Reason A: All laws are like this B:If they are not they aren't a law 2. Ordered toward food A: All laws are like this B: If they are not they aren't a law 3. Made by a proper authority 4. Law must be promograted A: Has to be put out there, published B: If not then it's not a law

What are the other precepts of the natural law that Aquinas mentions?

All other precepts of natural law rest upon this. What Aquinas seems to mean is that the several precepts of natural law are specifications of this precept, which is highly abstract Secondary Precepts of Preservation of Life The contrary of any good thing is evil So since the preservation of life is good then the destruction of life is Evil So avoid needless danger and no suicide Corresponding our peculiar possession of reason, humans are under an obligation "to avoid ignorance" (and to seek to know God) and to avoid offending those among whom one has to live. [These pertain uniquely to the rational faculty.] Aquinas never gives an exhaustive list of these precepts.

What is the first precept of the natural law?

Do good : Avoid Evil Natural Inclination fill in the Vagueness of this concept ^^. Natural Inclination- Naturally Geared to do something Human beings are naturally inclined to Preserve Life Whatever we have a naturally inclined for is Good Do Good = Do natural inclination such as Preservation of Life whether it be their own good, the good of their communities, their neighbors, or their patients.

How are these precepts related to "natural inclinations" (or, in other words, human nature)?

Get them by looking at the natural inclinations (good things) Naturally geared to do certain things What ever we are inclined to do is seen as "good" so that can be plugged into the first precept And derive to get the secondary precepts

What is the eternal law?

God's plan for all of creation - Everything that happens is part of this plan Everything was made from god Compares it to a craftsman plan It's an order of reason People can't comprehend this eternal law God is the proper authority for these laws Commands things to act in ways that particular way - Duck Law - Particle Law Eternal law just is god - Only way to understand god is to be god - To understand this is to have perfect beatitude Having a knowledge of any kind of truth is knowing a part of the eternal law

How is human law related to natural law?

Human Law "stems" from the natural law As Conclusions- Overlap Natural says no murder and there is human laws that say no murder too. Hence they overlap As Specifications - Natural law says no murder or there is punishments. Those punishments are specified in the human law. Natural law says No murder and the human says the punichshments if you do murder. Relationship with virtue Human law helps implement virtues in citizens Helps make the citizens virtuous Law says don't steal or if you do there is some sort of punishment. These punishments help you stop having these desires to steal therefor, it puts people on the path to virtues.

How are these precepts related to "natural inclinations" (or, in other words, human nature)?

Natural Inclination are what human beings do. It is the human thing Human stuff = Natural Inclination Natural Inclination = Perfection of Human Nature A good human is one that does the human stuff well A good human is one that performs its natural inclinations well. Happiness for aquinas is a Human that performs its natural inclinations well

How is the natural law related to happiness?

Natural Inclination are what human beings do. It is the human thing Human stuff = Natural Inclination Natural Inclination = Perfection of Human Nature A good human is one that does the human stuff well A good human is one that performs its natural inclinations well. Happiness for aquinas is a Human that performs its natural inclinations well

What is the Euthyphro dilemma? How would Aquinas address the challenge that the Euthyphro Dilemma poses?

Notion of Holiness- What makes something Holy? Sokratis raises this problem- A Goat sacrifice is.... Loved by the Gods because it's holy The act of the goat sacrifice is Holy and that causes God to love it. Holy because it's loved by the Gods The Gods loving the goat sacrifice causes it to be Holy. Murder is.... Forbidden by God because it is wrong (immoral) The Act of murder is already wrong, with or without God being present Since murder is wrong, once God is present, it being wrong makes God say it is forbidden. Murder being wrong causes it to be forbidden by God Murder is wrong (immoral) becuase it is forbidden by God Without God it is just a Neutral Act (not wrong nor right) Once God sees the act of murder it is wrong Since God says it is forbidden it causes murder to be wrong God saying the act of murder is forbidden, makes it wrong The Problem with A is- It makes God the "Middleman" of choosing whether or not it is wrong or right. The Problem with B is- Morality is Arbitrary Determined by the will of God This is based on God's will Gods will could say to murder and that would make it right, However that is not how moralirty works. It is still wrong to murder even if God command is to murder. Aquinas would lean more towards B because... Aquinas says that God is the Authority of everything, therefore God causes things to be wrong or holy. In part B God causes the Goat sacrifice to be Holy In part B God causes murder to be wrong

Can the eternal law be known?

People can't comprehend this eternal law Eternal law just is god - Only way to understand god is to be god - To understand this is to have perfect beatitude Perfect Beatitude - Rational Activity with Virtue - Not Achievable in this life - Only achievable in the after life - Something like Heaven - If it's perfect it would be continuous - Not achievable because it is a continuous activity and in this life everything comes to an end - Once you've obtain perfect beatitude there will be no unquenched desires. Things can go badly at any minute which is why it isn't achievable - Desire to always know things will never be quenched. Things we want to know like god we will never understand. - Understanding the essence of God

What is the Human Law?

Proper authorities for these laws are Congress or the board at loyola Laws that human beings pass

Explain Aquinas' distinction between imperfect beatitude and perfect beatitude

Rational Activity with Virtue Not Achievable in this life Understanding the essence of God If it's perfect it would be continuous Not achievable because it is a continuous activity and in this life everything comes to an end

How is human law related to virtue?

Relationship with virtue Human law helps implement virtues in citizens Helps make the citizens virtuous Law says don't steal or if you do there is some sort of punishment. These punishments help you stop having these desires to steal therefor, it puts people on the path to virtues.

What does Aquinas mean when he says that "happiness is an operation in accord with perfect virtue"

Virtues helps a thing perform its function well Happiness for aquinas is a Human that performs its natural inclinations well Natural Inclination are what human beings do. It is the human thing Human stuff = Natural Inclination Natural Inclination = Perfection of Human Nature A good human is one that does the human stuff well A good human is one that performs its natural inclinations well. Happiness for aquinas is a Human that performs its natural inclinations well