SAN JOSE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Datag, Malilipot, Albay III. MODERN CATHOLIC THINKERS
TOPIC 5: NATURAL LAW
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS
A medieval Roman Catholic scholar, reconciled the political
philosophy of Aristotle with Christian faith.
He contended that a just ruler or government must work
for the”common good” of all.
Became a Dominican priest at age 18.
Studied under the mentorship of St. Albert the Great.
He studied the works of Aristotle and the Muslim
commentaries on them.
Playfully called by his friend as “dumb ox” for being large
and quite.
He produced over ninety works in a little over two
decades
1. Summa Theological
2. Summa Contra Gentiles
3. The Ways of God: For Meditation and Prayer
FOUR PARTS OF SUMMA THEOLOGICA
1. Existence and Nature of God
2. Happiness, Psychology, Virtues, Law (Human , Reason is given a largely passive role-
Natural Divine)
3. The virtues in detail
4. Christian Doctrine
WHAT IS NATURAL?
 It is the rational understanding and following of God’s
final purpose
 God Created everything for a purpose
 Humans were created with the ability to reason and
can therefore choose to follow an intended purpose.
 Natural means some kind of INTUITION that a person
has
 Natural means unquestioned(true to him or to all)
 Natural means justifiable behavior
 Natural means common to the environment
 Natural means acceptable by the many.
 Natural means like an INSTINCT
WHAT IS NATURAL LAW?
 Is a theory in Ethics and philosophy that says that
human beings possess intrinsic values that govern our
reasoning and behavior.
 Rules of right and wrong are inherent in people and
are not created by society or court judges.
 “Actions are morally right if they accord with our
nature as human beings”. We have the ability to
reason and by exercising our intelligence we can
discern right action”.
HISTORICAL INVESTIGATION
I. ARISTOTLE – Every individual substance has an
INTRINSIC “nature” or principle of operation which is
dynamic, teleological and specific. Not every man by
nature achieves infallibly his goal of happiness. From
Aristotle, we learn two things:
a) Positive – moral norms may not be absolute
as the physical laws of nature
b) Negative – whereas Aristotle and St. Thomas
after him stressed the species (sameness),
the modern emphasis today is on
individuality (differences)
II. ST. THOMAS AQUINAS (Summa Theologica)
Cite the 4 definitions of natural law:
a) Ulpian – that which is common to man and
all the animals
b) Gratian 0 that which is contained in the law
and in the gospel
c) Isidore of Seville- that which is common to
all nature
d) Cicero- that which is not the result of works
but is innate in us
As a reaction to the textbook presentation of natural
las as fixed moral code spelled out in great detail and
rigidity, there has been a shift from a static to a more
dynamic and evolutionary interpretation of the natural
law.
1. A. Dondeyne. Two ways of conceiving the
natural law:
a) As a whole of abstract, ever-present rules
that are found among all peoples. The
“greatest common denominator” found
always and everywhere constantly
decreases
b) As the standard, the ideal which custom
or positive legislation must pursue in
relation to a particular development of
civilization, in order that its laws may be
worthy of man and just.
2. R.O. Johann. Contrast two views of natural
aw
a) According to classical world view
the norms of morality is conformity to
human nature, which is conceived as
fixed, self-enclosed, something completed.
merely to become reflectively aware of an
order, already constituted. Being
reasonable means conforming to the
known patterns of nature, to physical and
biological processes. The morality that
results stresses the ROLE OF LAW and
OBLIGATION
b) According to historical and
evolutionary view, the norm of morality
is conformity to right reason which is open
and dynamic. Reason plays a very active
role – its task is to discover what is
reasonable and human in a given
situation. Human nature becomes a task,
a project, a vocation, a work of love. Right
reason is conceived as reason open to the
Absolute and rectified and inspired by
love. The morality that results stresses
FREEDOM and CREATIVITY,
PERSONALITY and LOVE, CREATIVE
RESPONSIBILITY. The morally good is not
simply what is in accord with nature, but
what presents itself as reasonable in the
particular circumstances or situation.
FOUR KINDS OF LAW ACCDG TO THOMAS
1. Eternal Law – was God’s perfect plan, not fully
knowable to humans. It determined the way things
such as animals and planets behaved and how people
should behave. (Eternal law comes from God and is
unchanging)
2. Divine Law – primarily from the Bible, guided
individuals beyond the world to “eternal happiness” in
what St. Augustine called “City of God”. (Divine law is
the part of eternal law revealed through the
scriptures)
3. Natural Law – the lights of reason is placed by
nature (and thus by God) in every man to guide him
in his acts. Therefore, human beings, alone among
God’s creatures, use reason to lead their lives.
(Natural law is eternal law that can be known to
humans)
The Order of the Natural Law
First Principle: DO GOOD AND AVOID EVIL
Ex. Preserving life, caring for children, knowing the
truth about GOD, not harming others, helping the
poor and sick, etc.
Second Principle: HOW TO ACT BASED ON THE
FIRST PRINCIPLE
 Ex. The enforcement of the law, making of laws,
functioning of society

4. Human Law – “an ordinance of reason for the

common good” made and enforced by a ruler or
government. He warned, however, that people were
not bound to obey laws made by humans that
conflicted with natural law. (Human law is the lwas
made by the state)

WHAT ARE THE SEVEN BASIC GOODS OF NATURAL

LAW (Accdg. to Finnis)?
1. Life
2. Knowledge
3. Play
4. Aesthetic experience
5. Sociability of Friendship
6. Practical reasonable and
7. Religion

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF NATURAL LAW

 Only laws that are just are to be followed while unjust
laws may be ignonred
 It is a basic principle of human nature to want to live
a good life, and therefore, human lwas should reflect
that desire

FIVE PRIMARY PRECEPTS OF NATURAL LAW

 Self-preservation
 Continuation of the species through
reproduction(Procreation)
 Education of children (Knowledge)
 To live in society
 To worship GOD

THREE ASPECTS OF NATURAL LAW

1. Natural law is ONTOLOGICAL which means “based
on being”. The “being” in question being human
beings. Our shared human nature is the basis for
natural law morality.
2. Natural law is CATHOLIC which means “univcersal”.
The fact that it is based on human nature makes it
universally applicable to all humanity applicable to all
humanity regardless of race or culture.
3. Natural law is TELEOLOGICAL, which means “ordered
toward end”, that end being natural Happiness.