Thomas Aquinas 1225-

1274
The Natural Law
Thomas Aquinas
• One of the most influential thinkers of medieval
Scholasticism.
• Born 1225 AD; Died 1274 AD
• Dominican priest
• Aquinas came from a noble family from Naples.
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Thomas Aquinas
•Aquinas studied with Albert the Great in
Paris and participated in the Aristotelian
revival of the Middle Ages.
•Known as the greatest Christian
medieval theologian – philosopher.
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Thomas Aquinas
•His friends playfully called him “the dumb ox”.
•He produced over ninety works in a little over
two decades.
 Summa Theologica
 Summa Contra Gentiles
 The Ways of God: For Meditation and Prayer
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Thomas Aquinas
•He wrote about seventy books on various
subjects and was called an encyclopedias.
•His most important contribution to political
thought is the incorporation of Aristotelian
ideas into Christian thought (Thomism).
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Major’s Work (s)
• Aquinas's major work, the Summa Theologica
• Divided into 4 parts:
 Prima Pars (1st Part) Existence and Nature of God
 Prima Secundae (1st Part of the 2nd Part) Happiness, Psychology,
Virtues, Law (Human, Natural, Divine)
 Secunda Secundae (2nd Part of the 2nd Part) The Virtues in Detail
 Tertia Pars (3rd Part) Christian Doctrine

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Four Ideas of Law in Aquinas
•Eternal Law
This represents the everlasting aspect
of natural law and the principles by
which God governs the universe.
The order in the mind of God.
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Four Ideas of Law in Aquinas
•Divine Law
This represents the law which is given from
God to Humans. It refers to the Bible largely.
The law given to people from God through
the Bible and the teaching of the church.

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Four Ideas of Law in Aquinas
•Human Law
 Rules made by human societies for them to work
successfully.
 Aquinas believed that human reason concluded that
we desire to live in an ordered society, therefore we
make laws (using our reason) that should be followed.
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What is meant by natural law?
•Natural law is the rational understanding
and following of God’s final purpose.
•Humans were created everything with
the ability to reason and can therefore
choose to follow an intended purpose.
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What is meant by natural law?
•The represents the part of the eternal
law in which humans can make choices.
•Intuitive sense of right and wrong
discovered through conscience.

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Natural Law……
Socrates
• Morality is an important part of natural law.
• Laws are meant to help people to live the
right way; they help people become better
people.
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Natural Law……
Plato
• Harmony between the individual and society are
important components of morality and thus natural law.
• Human laws must be based on knowledge of the
eternal laws that rule the universe.

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Natural Law……
Aristotle
• People are not all good, and education alone cannot
ensure that people will be good.
• Only laws can ensure the good behavior of all people.
• Using reason, humans can be developing their
greatest potential within the state.
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Natural Law……
St. Thomas Aquinas
• Natural law is the eternal law that can be known by
humans.
• Human law is the “ordinance of reason for the
common good” and is made public by society’s
ruler.
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Features of Natural Law
• Natural Law is deontological.
• Natural Law is absolute.
• Natural Law is Legalistic.

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Purpose of Natural Law
•The purpose of the natural law is to
live good, happy life. So, actions that
work against that purpose would lead
to a bad life and that will be
considered “unnatural or immoral”
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Purpose of Natural Law
•Natural law is based on five theologies.
 Everything in nature has a purpose.
 Nature was created by God.
 Failure to develop this nature to the fullest is an imperfection.
 Nature and its moral laws are knowable through reason and
natural law is part of some divine plan.

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Origin of Natural Law: Aristotle
•Greek philosopher
•Final cause or purpose
•Anything that prevents or interferes with
the purpose for which something is
created is wrong.
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Origin of Natural Law: Aristotle
• Everything has a telos or purpose.
• The telos comes from the nature (form, design) of a thing.
• The efficient cause is anything that brings about the final cause.
 Example: Going to school (efficient cause) produces a grades
(final cause)which provides education (telos of human life).

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Origin of Natural Law: Aristotle
•Aristotle’s sees humans as “rational
animals”, so we have reason and animal
instincts.
•Our reason can frustrate this telos or
purpose.
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How to Apply Natural Law
•Four Cardinal Virtues
 Prudence - the ability to think before you act.
 Justice – balance the thinking of yourself and
others.
 Fortitude – determination not to give up.
 Temperance – resisting temptation.
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The opposite of the 4 cardinal virtues and seven deadly
sins.

•Pride
•Gluttony
•Avarice
•Anger
•Lust
•Envy •Sloth

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How to Apply Natural Law
•Revealed Virtues
Faith
Hope
Charity

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Aquinas’s Purpose
• The idea of natural law is that God gave us a purpose. Aquinas
said our purpose as humans is to do the following.
 Worship God
 Ordered Society
 Reproduce
 Learn
 Defend Life
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The Order of Natural Law
First Principle
• Do good and avoid evil.
Second Principle
• How to act based on the first principle.

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Primary Precepts
•Aquinas’s purposes of life (WORLD) make up the primary precepts.
•They identify the good acts within a human's life and out God-given
purpose. They are absolute.
•This reflects on our Telos (final purpose)
 God created us
 God gave us reason
 We use our reason to find our purpose.
 Our purpose is to get back to God.

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Secondary Precepts
•Unlike primary, these are not always right, their
rules provide flexibility in extreme situations and
can be broken.
•For each of the 5 primary precepts, the secondary
precepts gives rules involving what should or
shouldn’t be done.
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Secondary Precepts
•The primary precepts are always true all over the
world. However, secondary precepts may change
depending on the culture.
 Example: If the primary precept is to reproduce and to
live in an ordered society, then a secondary precept could
be the laws of marriage.
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Thank You!