Ethics-Natural Law-St Thomas Aquinas-Telos&Four tiers of law

• Natural Law


  Principles found in nature that are universal and fixed
• Natural Law (according to Aquinas)

  • Humans must follow certain principles found in nature
  • Humans have the ability to reason to work out what these principles are
• Deontological


  Concerned only with human action, not the consequences of those actions
• Synderesis rule


  Do good and avoid evil
• Aquinas' thinking has had a major impact on catholic teaching
• Supporters of Natural Law

  • Hugo Grotius
  • William Paley
  • John Locke
  • Aristotle
• Eudaimonia


  Happiness, human flourishing
• Aquinas believed that happiness for humans cannot be achieved in this world but only once we are reunited with God
• 4 types of law made known to humans

  • Eternal law (God's universal and unchanging plan)
  • Divine law (laws and rules found in the Bible)
  • Natural law (all humans can become aware of God's eternal law through reason)
  • Human law (laws created by humans for their society, derived from natural and divine law)
• Through natural law, humans can be aware of God's eternal law even if they have not read the Bible