The Natural Law Theory – We all seek out what’s known as the basic goods and argued that

instinct and reason come together to point us to the natural law.

Who is St. Thomas?

 Born in: Roccarecca, Italy (Medieval Period)

 Liberal Arts at University of Naples
 1249 – he became a Dominican Friar.
 Known as “Doctor of the Church” because of the immense contribution to the theology
and doctrine of Catholic Church.

Works:

Summa Theologica – expounded five proofs of the existence of God.

Summa Contra Gentiles – Book on the truth of the Catholic faith against the errors of the
unbelievers.

Natural law along with the eternal law: belief in God as the highest of all beings and the
highest of all beings and the highest of all goods.

Eternal law: God expresses his self through eternal law, His will and His plan for all His
creatures.

Expresses moral requirements:

 Rules
 Commander
 Action-guiding

Two Groups of Adherents

Rational Creatures – gifted with rationality and freedom. Hence, we can understand and
analyze the content of moral requirements.

Irrational Creatures – refers to animals, plants and other nonliving creatures without rationality
and freedom. Though they are without the gifts of reasoning & free will, their actuations are
governed by the natural law.

The Natural and its Tenet

Where is natural law situated in the scheme of things in the Philosophy of Aquinas?

His philosophy is grounded on the belief that God exists.

God – highest good and Being who establishes eternal law where His divine plan for His
creatures has been inscribed.

Eternal → Natural Law: discoverable by any rational creatures & unknowable for irrational ones.

NATURAL MORAL LAW VS ETERNAL LAW:

Natural law is an expression of participation in the eternal law.

Moral – inverted between two words to show that emphasis on moral action.

Moral Philosophy – natural law is a picture of eternal law as something sensible & knowable to
rational beings.

Two Subclasses of Human Positive Law

Civil Law - enacted and promulgated by the lawmakers of the land.

Ecclesiastical Law – enacted & promulgated by the religious people regarding faiths and
morals.

Happiness as Constitutive of Moral and Cardinal Virtues

Moral and Cardinal virtues of Aquinas has a special meaning in this moral philosophy.

Virtues – human actions that are frequently carrying out human act becomes easily executed.

- special kind of human acts that are moral, in accordance with the dictates of reason.

Four Cardinal Virtues

Prudence (good judgement) – helps us know the best means in solving moral problems in which
we encounter in the concrete circumference.

Justice (righteousness) – exercise of the will to give or render the things, be it intellectual or
material to anyone who owns it.

Fortitude (strength/backbone) – the habit is an exercise of courage, to face any dangers one
encounters without fear, especially when life is at stake.

Temperance (controlling/restrain) – exercise of control in the midst of strong attraction to

pleasures.

How Happiness Becomes Constitutive of Moral and Cardinal Virtues?

 For Aquinas, wholeness of human beings that involves body and soul to be united with
the highest good or summum bonum, no other than God Himself who is in heaven.

How is this being done?

“Every act ends towards something”

When good is done, whatever is that good, promotes the ultimate good.

Ultimate Good - fulfill his nature to live as being a creature, in accordance to his purpose and to
the divine plan of God, and to act that does not hinder his future union with God in heaven.