ETHICS

GROUP REPORT FORMAT

I. PRAYER & EXERCISE

II. MOTIVATION
“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love
what you are doing, you will be successful.” – Albert Schweitzer.

EXPLANATION: (not included in ppt)

This quotes reminds us that true success comes from finding joy and fulfillment in
our work. When we are passionate about what we do, we are more likely to put in the
effort and dedication needed to achieve our goals. So, focus on finding happiness in
what you do, believing in yourself, staying persistent, doing great work that you love
and success will naturally follow.
(OR ELSE, DO YOU HAVE OTHER MOTIVATION IN MIND  ….)

III. INTRODUCTION
For virtue ethics, a good person is somebody who is grounded on wisdom and
virtue. For Aristotle he speaks of Golden Mean, which is pleasure in moderation.
Virtuous people will enjoy themselves in the right way, at the right time, and just the
right amount. It is from being virtuous as shown in his actions that a person can be
said to be a morality good person. Aquinas, using Aristotle’s philosophy, said that
happiness is also an end. This kind of happiness will be achieved if we seek
knowledge from God and have a personal relationship with Him.

IV. OBJECTIVES
In this report, you will be able to:
 Recognize the meaning of natural law and Its’ relations to ethics.
 Explain how natural law as an imprint of the Divine Will on the free
person.
 Perceive happiness as constitutive of moral and cardinal virtues.

V. DISCUSSIONS OF THE LESSON(S)

ST. THOMAS AGUINAS (1225-1274)
 Greatly influenced by Aristotle
 “Universal Doctor of the Church”
 Birth: 1225, Roccasecca, Italy and Death: March 7, 1274, Fossanova Abbey, Italy
 His parents were Landulf (count of Aquino), nephew of the Emperor Frederick
Barbarossa and Theodora Rossi (countless of Teano), a descendant from the
Norman baron.
 was a medieval philosopher and theologian who developed five proofs for the
existence of God using reason as a basis for his argument.
 Hailed as the Father of the Thomistic school of theology and defender of the
Catholic faith because of his two books: Summa Theologica and Summa Contra
Gentiles.

THE NATURAL LAW AND ITS TENETS

DA BEGININ’
 It is Deontological which means WHAT COMES NATURALLY TO US, right or
wrong.
 It was Aristotle who first developed this approach to ethics but in seeking to
combine Aristotle thought with the Catholic Churches teachings, Thomas
Aquinas built on his thought and developed a system of ethics known as “Natural
Law”.
 The Catholic Church to this day bases much of its teachings, beliefs and practices
on Aquinas’ natural law theory.

THE NATURAL LAW THEORY

 Is the simplest ethical framework that recognizes the deep connection between
nature and morality.
 Is a theory asserting that certain rights or values are inherent by virtue of human
nature and can be universally understood through human reason. It is a
consistent universal law based on human nature that remains untouched by
culture, custom, or society. However, it evolves based on its intended use,
function, and conditions.

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 EXAMPLES: Right to life; Pursuit of happiness; Family bonds; Property
ownership; Self-defense; Truth telling; Religious freedom; Reproduction
rights.
 All things in nature or the world have their own purpose which are part of an all-
encompassing law, the natural law

THE NATURAL LAW

 Is morality built into nature of people which is rationality. Thus, anything that is
natural-rational is basically moral and vice versa.
 With great influence from Aristotle, the father of natural law, Thomas Aquinas
added that the natural law comes from and ends in God. Anything against it is
considered unnatural and thus immoral.

NATURAL LAW CHARACTERISTICS

 Based on human nature, morals, ethics, and conscience
 Unaffected by culture, custom, or society
 Not governed by the judiciary or legislature
 Common to everyone irrespective of race, gender, and socioeconomic status
 Evolves based on its usage, function, and circumstances
 Not taught by the humankind
 Universal and constant

AQUINAS DEFINES LAW AS A DICTATE OF REASON.

o This dictate of reason is primarily from the ruler to ensure the order and proper
functioning of everything in a community. By the same reason, he discovers
different laws:
 Eternal Law
 Natural Law
 Human Law
 Divine Law

AQUINAS’ NATURAL LAW THEORY has the following tenets (principle).

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BASIC TENETS:
1. Eternal law of God is revealed through the Natural Law.
2. Natural Law is revealed to all people through human reason.
3. Natural Law has flexibility in its application.
4. The natural laws are universal and unchangeable bases to judge individual cultures and
societies.
5. Everything in the world has its own nature or purpose (natural law) of being.
6. Humanity has an essential rational nature
7. Human person can know, through reason, what is in accord with his own nature, which
is good.

NATURAL LAW AND IT’S TENETS:

1. NATURAL LAW IS TO BE RESPECTED; NOT OBEYED.
 Every living man, woman, and child have free will choice to respect
natural law, treat it with belligerence, or contempt and refuse it.
2. NATURAL LAW IS OF MAN; NOT FOR MAN
 Because the content of free will mind is not so governed, Creator has
endowned, with a conscience, and an emotional faculty which prompt
and impel that man should choose life supporting goals.
3. NATURAL LAW IS OBJECTIVE; NOT SUBJECTIVE
 Natural laws exist to sustain every individual’s life. Transfer these into
Man’s societal dealings with others and not one thing changes. Personal
desire does not translate to what government approves. Diligent
application of one’s effort does not mean obeying artificial laws.
4. NATURAL LAW IS IMMUTABLE
 Natural law is inviolate. It cannot be overruled by any Man or any
construct of Man without self- confessing (by such action) the unlawful
authority so to do.
5. NATURAL LAW UPHOLDS THE INDIVIDUALITY OF HUMAN LIFE
 This is the primary natural law tenets. Wherein the individuality of the
person cannot be fused upon the life of one’s entity because we all have
uniqueness and rights on what we want to do on our lives.
6. NATURAL LAW GRANTS NO AUTHORITY

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  This means that natural law doesn’t permit one individual to command
another. The principle of integrity is self- evident.
7. NATURAL LAW REFUSES ALL AUTHORITY
 Natural Law denies all authority save its own, whether from a partner,
neighbor, pulpit, parliament, congress, or any other source.
8. NATURAL LAW ADMITS NO TRESPASS
 Whosoever (knowingly) initiates the use of physical or coercive force, or
fraud against others, negates and paralyses the victim’s means of survival
 Two persons cannot be free and equal, when one of them is controlling,
managing, threatening, blackmailing or extorting the other. Crime is not
committed by free persons, but by those who have chosen to sacrifice
their autonomy. Outlaws are not free.
9. NATURAL LAW AND POSITIVE LAW ARE ANTI- ETHICAL
 Natural Law and Positive Law apply to different things, so cannot be
alternative systems of rules applicable to the same thing.
10. THE NATURAL LAW SUPPORTS ONE’S LIFE, RESPECTFUL OF ALL OTHERS
 Integrity, lawfulness, and justice are the foundation and culmination of
natural law, the full expression and manifestation of mind, body, and soul
having respect to human life.

A.L.D THEORY
 Aquinas’ Natural Law is often thought to be an Absolutist, legalistic and
deontological theory.
o ABSOLUTIST – believing there are normal morals that apply to all
situations.
o LEGALISTIC – the idea to obey religious laws to gain eternal life.
o DEONTOLOGICAL – to follow your duty whether the actions are right or
wrong.

HAPPINESS AS CONSTITUTIVE AS MORAL AND CARDINAL VIRTUES

 Happiness is not found in material world and created things; It is only found in God
in who is the source of everything that is good and perfect.
 Happiness in God should be contemplated upon by the human person so that he
may counter his desires and avoid unhappiness.

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  Happiness in God is not possible in this imperfect life. Perfect happiness is only
possible in the afterlife. Nothing in this world can really and fully make humans
happy.
 Happiness is and will be through the moral virtues because there is no happiness
without virtue and no virtue without self – struggle.

(“Happiness” is the classical sense of Eudamonia, meaning to lead a good and

virtuous life from a Greek and Roman philosophy and later expanded upon by
Christian thinkers like Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas.)

Aquinas, following Aristotle, holds that there are basic virtues that need to be developed first
as the foundation of other moral virtues. Their perfection leads to the strength of one’s
character.
THE FOUR CARDINAL VIRTUES:
 The meaning of virtues is the “excellence of a character’s personal qualities.
 These are important to fulfill a human true nature and to avoid sin.
 There are 4 cardinal values:
o PRUDENCE – the ability to think before you act (wisdom)
o TEMPERANCE – resisting temptations (self- control)
o JUSTICE – balance the thinking of yourself and others (fairness)
o FORTITUDE – determination not to give up (courage)

1. PRUDENCE PRINCIPLE (Prudence is the “right reason in action”)

 Prudence or Practical wisdom as the “mother or measure of all the virtues and
emotional health” is the ability to caustiously choose appropriate actions that best
corresponds to circumstance of given situation.
 It is called the “mother of beautiful character” and the secret to becoming beautiful.
 Prudence essentially applies the “principles of proportionality”

PROPORTIONALITY PRINCIPLE
 It is the right action for the right reason and result, at the right situation, time and
place, and with the right weight and right person or virtue
PROPORTIONALITY

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  Is the process of understanding and assessing the nature and effects of possible
action in order to choose the most appropriate action, control; its application,
effects and situations, and be responsible with the person involved.
PROPORTIONATE VIRTUE
 Is doing as much good as possible and as little harm or bad as necessary while
paying attention to all values and disvalues involved.
EXAMPLE:
Honesty must be executed proportionately such as when a soldier is being interrogated
by the enemies. To spare the lives of his comrades, he may tell lies.

2. COURAGE PRINCIPLE (Courage is “perseverance in adversity”)

 Moral Courage is being cautious but certain in front of danger and risk. It is the
strength and endurance to control emotions and to bear suffering, fear,
uncertainty, anxiety, and pressure.
 Moral Courage enables to survive, resist temptations and vices, and constantly
pursue what is right and good at all cost – martyrdom, or giving up of one’s precious
life.
 Moral Courage is supported by good reasons or moral principles such as integrity,
honesty, common good and justice which may be greater than life in some
situations. (People sometimes ought to die for principles to be happy so that
courage is greatly necessary.)
 Moral Courage is not recklessness, fearlessness, passion, excessive anger and
suppressed fear. It is greater than all of these; it is a spiritual and intellectual virtue
that priorities principles and ideals are more than anything else.

3. JUSTICE PRINCIPLE (Justice is giving what fairly belongs to others and to God.)
 Justice is fairness that consist in giving to God and neighbor what is due to each of
them. It is giving them what rightly belongs to them as part of a good and just
society and being a social being.
 This disposition enables people to respect others and their rights so that they can
live harmoniously, peacefully and prosperously.
4. TEMPERANCE PRINCIPLE (Temperance is the practice of self- control, abstention and
moderation).
 Temperance is self- restraint, self- control, self- regulation and moderation towards
attraction to pleasure and created goods.

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  It is the disposition of reason to balance and control desires, passions, or appetites.
 Tempreance is best practice by many people through abstinence in food and drink,
sexual pleasures. Others are also good at having proper diet and exercise, being
thrifty. Highly well-tempered people are chaste, charitable , diligent, patient, kind
and humble.
SELF- CONTROL – in the simple aspects of life reflects not only a strong character but also a
happy life. This reveals that what really brings real happiness are not sensual or material
things but ideas or principles such as self- discipline, moderation and contentment.

SELF- INDULGEMENT AND SENSUALITY – are forms of intemperance that may drive people
towards enslaving and additive sins or vices: gluttony, greed, sloth, lust, drunkenness,
wrath, mediocrity, envy, pride, maltreatment, bullying, drug addiction, lying, stealing.

NEVERTHELESS, all these four cardinal virtues for Aquinas will fail and could not reach the
highest happiness without theological virtues of faith, hope and love. These heavenly
virtues will relate human persons to God and each other because they provide true
knowledge and desire for Him and His will.

FAITH – is disposes to recognize, believe and trust in God

HOPE – disposes people to always long or wish for Him and to be always with Him because He is
the only true happiness.
LOVE – finally disposes people to desire Him, to serve Him, and to worship Him.

Anything opposes these virtues are called SINS.

SINS – The sins against faith are unbelief, skepticism, agnosticism, apostasy and heresy.
Against LOVE are envy, bitterness, greed, hate, animosity, sedition and treason.

“What is good or right is anything done out of virtue because it brings happiness with God”
- THOMISTIC PRINCIPLE

VI. GENERALIZATION:

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 VII. EVALUATION:

VIII. REFERENCES:
Makie, Gleemoore C., ethics: Flourishing Life, Research, Statistics, Business
Consultancy and Publishing company, 2020
Pasco M. O., Suarez V.F., Rodriguez A. G., “Ethics” C&E Publishing Inc., 2018
Bulaong O., Calano M,. Lagliva A. Mariano M., Pricipe J., “Ethics: Foundation of Moral
Valuation”. 1st Edition, REX Book Store, 2018
Ramos, Carmela, “Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person” (1 st edition)
REX Book Store, 2016.