Lesson 10: THE NATURAL LAW: ST.

THOMAS AQUINAS

Good has the nature of an end while evil has a contrary nature. Accordingly, every thing for
which a man has a natural inclination is naturally apprehended as a good and consequently something
to be pursued, while anything contrary to this is to be avoided as evil. Therefore the ordering of the
precepts of natural law stems from the order of natural inclinations. In the first place, there is the
inclination of man towards natural good, an inclination shared by all substances inasmuch as they
naturally desire self-preservation. The consequence of this inclination is that whatever preserves human
life and avoids obstacles is a matter of natural law. Secondly, there is in man a more specialized
inclination following the natural bent he shares with other animals. Accordingly these things are said to
pertain to natural law that nature has taught to all animals, such as the mating of male and female,
education of Children, and similar things. Thirdly, there is in man an inclination toward good based on
reason, something proper only to man. Thus man has a natural inclination to know the truth about God,
and that he should live in society. On this ground, those things that stem from this inclination are also a
matter of natural law. Thus, man should overcome ignorance and should not offend fellow members of
society, and similar considerations.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

After studying this chapter, the students should be able to:

1. Articulate the meaning of natural law and its relation to ethics; and
2. Explain how natural law is an imprint of the divine will on the free person

LECTURE NOTES

St. Thomas Aquinas

An Italian Catholic priest who belongs to the religious Order
of Preachers or Dominicans, St. Thomas Aquinas was born in 1225.
The title Aquinas identifies his place of origin, Aquino which belonged
originally to the kingdom of Naples and about 120 km. south of
Rome. He was born to an affluent and influential family; his father
was recognized as the count of Aquino. His early studies were under
the tutelage of the Benedictine Abbot of Monte Cassino, but at the
age of 14, he enrolled at the University of Naples. He was deeply
impressed by the Dominicans whom he later met at this University
that Thomas decided to join the Order of Preachers at the age of 19
in 1244 instead of the Benedictines who were his first teachers.

After the struggle with his family who did not agree with his
being a priest was finally settled, Thomas in 1248 studied with Albert
the Great (1205-1280) in Cologne. Recognizing his student as a In the Photo: St. Thomas Aquinas
genius, Albert took Thomas with him to the University of Paris. Photo source: Catholicism.org

Thomas later became the master of Theology in this university (1256) and the remaining 18 years of his
life were spent on lectures, instructions, writings, and quodlibets (the tradition of answering questions

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posed by participants who were in a dialogue somewhat akin to the ancient symposiums of the Greeks).
Thomas died on 7 March 1274 leaving behind him notable works like Summa Contra Gentiles, Summa
Thelogiae, and De Veritate. The Catholic Church honors him as a Doctor, a title given to saints who are
recognized as giver of particularly important insights in the understanding of Christian doctrine or faith.

Etsi Deus non daretur

Thomas Aquinas begins from the standpoint of faith. His perspective presupposes the existence
of a God who is the author (source) and the goal (end) of all reality. This Creator for Thomas, however,
relates in freedom with the human person and so enables him/her in freedom to recognize through
reason, the very principle of foundations of all things. In accordance with this foundational knowledge,
the human person can choose to act in such a way that is worthy of
one's very reality. One who can reach the wisdom at the very heart of all things is obliged to act in
accordance with his/ her dignity. The human being then is said to be gifted with "the ability to know the
highest good" that engages him/her in freedom in "choosing to act on the good that he/she ought to
do." Freedom here is knowing the best goal and being able to reach for it through decisive action. This is
expressed interiorly, that is in the very heart, of every human person as the dictate of “doing good and
avoiding evil.”

For Aquinas, God reveals his Goodwill as the Eternal as governing all is relating with God himself
whose will growth, nutrition, and reproduction is founded on the will the dictate of "doing good and
avoiding evil Law reflected in the order of reality. Relating with the Law emanates to govern all that is.
The reality then of life as that is eternal. Even the reality of sensitive consciousness as ruled by instinct
that is true of animals is also in accordance with the same will. That "plants persist to carry themselves
out to the fullness of being plants" is an imprint of the governing will that comes to human
understanding as la That "animals governed by instincts behave in such and such a way" is also
recognized by the human person as the dictate of a law that guides all of creation as following the
dictate of a law that guides all of creation.

The reality of the human person who is able, through his/ her intellect, to decide in freedom
and, through his/her wilI, to move himself/herself voluntarily in accordance with the good that he/she
can know follows the very will of God who has "created man in His own image" (Genesis 1, 27). Man in
His fullness shares life with plants and animals but goes beyond them in his voluntary action and
freedom in decisions. Human freedom for St. Thomas, therefore, is an imprint of the divine will in the
very being of the human person. This sharing of human reason in the eternal will or divine law is for
him/her the natural law. The relationship between the Eternal and Natural law for him/her is expressed
in the Sacred book for Christians thus, "since the creation of the world God's invisible will-his power and
nature-has been clearly seen being understood from what has been made visible so that people are
without excuse" (Romans 1, 20). The Divine will, according to this quote, can be understood as
governing all that is; man's task is to act in such a way that his/her participation in the full unfolding of
nature directs it to fulfillment.

This law impinges on the very freedom of the human being who can know his/her options and
voluntarily will take action. The rational human person's participation, ability to discern what is good
from what is not, is the very presence of the dictate of the law within him/her, and is also the imprint on
him/her of the Creator (Divine will). Etsi Deus non daretur is an expression that highlights the validity of
this ethical system with or without faith in the Creator God. Literally, etsi Deus non daretur means "even
if there is no God." This implies that the wisdom of the ethical system that is natural law is valid and
binding for the human person even if we bracket belief in God.

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Three Contemporary Questions
There are relevant questions that can help the Filipino student appreciate Thomistic Natural
Law. If we follow what has been earlier said, that natural law is man's participation in the execution of
the good and avoidance of evil through the use of his/her reason and will, then three questions the
originated from the writing of Alasdair Macintyre can appropriated to highlight the relevance of Aquinas
today:Who am I? Who do I want to be? How can I get there?"

Who am 1? Thomistic Natural Law interrogates the identity of the human person. If one is
endowed with his/her own facticity, history, and abilities, his/her present reality accessible to him/her
through self-knowledge and reflection.This assessment of one's own strengths and weaknesses is critical
in being able to do good and avoid evil. This ethical task is not only an outward truth. Doing good
determines the actor in a reality that is good and doing bad malforms him/her too. The reality of human
identity is that it is something defined yet also always in process. The task of knowing the self is the
point of departure for the task of building up the identity of the human person. Ethics here does not
only cover the issues that usually call our attention, such as abortion, euthanasia, or other burning moral
questions of this sort. Ethics for Aquinas is primarily a question of human identity. "All human acts are
moral acts," Aquinas said. Since it is through his/her acts that man defines himself/herself, the ethical
man is the task of his/her free acts.

Defining the self gives one a chance to clarify his/her goal; hence, it is important to raise the
second question: Who do I want to be? The human person's self-knowledge is dynamic, that is, it is
always open to the direction set by what one wants to make of himself/herself. Self-knowledge here is
malleable towards self-determination. Ethical acts give direction through freedom to build up the self
towards a particular goal. The human reason is so gifted that it is able to discern through options and
daily realities. Decisions are the basis of one's freedom in choosing what one wants to be. The self also
considers the truthful transition to what one ought to be. Given this knowledge of himself/herself and
the ability to evaluate his/her options and possibilities, the self can also better give direction to
himself/herself. The third question is not very far from the other questions. In truth, How can I get
there? also fully utilizes the sound judgment of human reason and evaluates the best route to get to the
goal decided upon. The last question breaks down the task to be done into the particulars of actions and
daily routine. Self-knowledge and self- determination are here bridged by self-governance.

The human person does not only access reason to assess his/her personal identity and personal
goal; he/she is also gifted with the will to command the self to go through the steps and, hence, be able
to do the transition from knowledge to a fully determined self. Goal setting through reason and decision
is complemented by the ability to freely move the self and command the body in action. It is in
orchestrating the actions to be consistent with the end in mind that the self reaches improvement.

For instance, if one wishes to get to the goal of finishing a degree, one starts with the reality of
the self. Knowing what one needs to improve on supports the goal of graduating. A sound decision helps
the student to maximize the training and studies that go with being enrolled in the university. One
knows in honesty that a paper diploma that reflects a degree is hardly of value without true knowledge
and mastery of what one is expected to know. Hence, if one's goal is to graduate with competence, one
elects the daily, monthly, semestral, or even yearly tasks that ought to be completed. Professors,
lectures, and even exams are then seen in this light as aids in reaching the goal. Furthermore, the self is
not only a passive receiver of what transpires externally; one designs the path and cooperate with the
situation to reach the end that has been reasonably set by the self.

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Conclusion
Thomas Aquinas was influential in his articulation of the theory of natural law. He showed us
that the universe was determined by an order of love that ought to define the sense of the good of
human beings. Whether one believes in a transcendent, loving god or not, he showed how people could
intuit an order to things that was inherent to all beings that existed. Whether one was a believer or not,
one could see that there is this order which is the ground of people's wholeness and self-realization.
Many philosophers up to this day build upon this idea of a natural order upon which is founded natural
law. Even in legal theories, this foundational idea is influential. However, as Western civilization evolved,
other theories also evolved which insisted that the foundation of norms for the good should be rooted
in human reason alone. In this school of thought, Immanuel Kant would be one of the most important
thinkers.

LEARNING ACTIVITY
Answer the following questions concisely in a separate sheet of paper. (5 pts. each)

1. What is the natural law for St. Thomas? How does it guide the human being's realization of the good?
2. Does obeying the natural law mean that human beings must only conform their self-realization to the
laws of nature?
3. Why is it possible to hold the natural law as a framework for living a good life even if one does not
believe in a god?
4. Why is the quest for doing the good tied to the question “Who am I”?

REFERENCES

Pasco, Marc Oliver. Et al. General Education: Ethics. C & E Publishing, Inc.,2018
Aquinas, Tomas. Summa theologiae: Critical essays edited by Brian Davies. Oxford: Rowman &
Littlefild, 2006.
De Finance, Joseph. An Ethical Inquiry. Roma: Eitrice Pontifica Universita Gregoriana, 1991
Keenan, James. Goodness and Rightness in Thomas Aquinas. Washington DC: Georgetown
University Press, 1992
Pinckaers, Servias. Sources of Christian Ethics. Washington DC: Catholic University of America Press,
1995

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