group-3-natural-law. Ethics PowerPoint pt

Ethics

1. NATURAL LAW CHAPTER III

2. INTRODUCTION In October 2016, newspapers reported that Pantaleon Alvarez, Speaker of the House of Representatives, was intending to draft a bill which, would amend the country's Family Code, thereby allowing for the legalization of same-sex unions. This would result in the possibility of two men together or two women together being identified as a couple with rights guaranteed and protected by the law. However, as one newspaper report revealed, even before anything could be formally proposed, other fellow legislators had already expressed to the media their refusal to support any such initiative.'

3. The reasons given in the news article vary, ranging from the opinion that seeing two men kiss is unsightly to the statement that there is something "irregular" about belonging to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) community and to the judgment that two people of the same sex being together is unnatural. We are used to hearing people justify doing something by making the appeal that what they maintain is "natural" and therefore acceptable. Likewise, people would judge something as unacceptable on the basis that it is supposedly "unnatural."

4. Thus, we are no longer surprised when we hear people condemn and label many different things as "unnatural": maybe receiving blood transfusions, eating meat, or, as our news report shows, engaging in sexual relations that one might consider deviant. We also realize that sometimes we might find ourselves astonished or perplexed as to what different people might consider "unnatural."

5. THOMAS AQUINAS (1225-1274) Hailed as a doctor of the Roman Catholic Church, Thomas Aquinas was a Dominican friar who was the preeminent intellectual figure of the scholastic period of the Middle Ages, contributing to the doctrine of the faith more than any other figure of his time. His Summa Theologiae, Aquinas's magnum opus, is a voluminous work that comprehensively discusses many significant points in Christian theology. He was canonized in 1323.

6. THOMAS AQUINAS There have been various thinkers and systems of thought emerging throughout history that could be said to present a natural law theory. Among them, the one we will be focusing on is the medieval thinker Thomas Aquinas. It has to be recognized, however, that this natural law theory is part of a larger discussion, which is his moral theory taken as a whole. This moral theory, in turn, is part of a larger project, which is Aquinas's vision of the Christian faith. Before we turn to the natural law theory, let us take a look at these contexts.

7. THE CONTEXT OF THE CHRISTIAN STORY The fundamental truth maintained and elaborated by Aquinas in all his works is the promise right at the center of the Christian faith: that we are created by God in order toultimately return to Him. The structure of his magnum opus Summa Theologiae follows the trajectory of this story.

8. THE CONTEXT OF THE CHRISTIAN STORY There are three parts to this voluminous work. In the first part, Aquinas speaks of God, and although we acknowledge that our limited human intellect cannot fully grasp Him, we nevertheless are able to say something concerning His goodness, His might, and His creative power. Recognizing then that we are created by God, we move on to the second part, which deals with man or the dynamic of human life.

9. THE CONTEXT OF THE CHRISTIAN STORY This is characterized by our pursuit of happiness, which we should realize rests ultimately not on any particular good thing that is created by God, but in the highest good which is God Himself. Our striving for this ultimate happiness, while important, will not in itself bring us to this blessed state. In other words, salvation is only possible through the presence of God's grace and that grace has become perfectly incarnate in the person of Jesus. Thus, the third part focuses on Jesus as our Savior.

10. THE CONTEXT OF THE CHRISTIAN STORY Given that our concern here is the question of ethics, it would seem clear that what would be of greatest interest to us is the second part or the section of this story that centers on human life and its striving toward God.

11. THE CONTEXT OF AQUINAS'S ETHICS A full consideration of Aquinas's ethics would require us to explore his discussion of other matters, such as how, in our pursuit of happiness, we direct our actions toward specific and ends. We might explore how emotions —"the passions"—are involved in this process, and therefore require a proper order if they are to properly contribute to a good life. We might explore how our actions are related to certain dispositions (often referred to as "habits') in a dynamic way since our actions both arise from our habits and at the same time reinforce them.

12. Aquinas also puts forward that there is within us a conscience that directs our thinking. This does not refer to some simple intuition or gut feeling. For Aquinas, there is sense of right and wrong in us that we are obliged to obey. However, he also adds that this sense of right and wrong must be informed, guided, and ultimately grounded in an objective basis for morality.

13. Being told that one should heed one's conscience or that one should try to be virtuous, does very little to guide people as to what specifically should be done in a given situation. Thus, there is a need for a clearer basis of ethics, a ground that will more concretely direct our sense of what is right and wrong. For Aquinas, this would be the natural law. We can recall how the ethical approach called the divine command theory urges a person toward unthinking obedience to religious precepts. Given the problems of this simplistic approach to ethics, we can contrast how the moral theory of Aquinas requires the judicious use of reason. In doing so, one's sense of right and wrong would be grounded on something stable: human nature itself.

14. The Greek Heritage

15. Neoplatonic Good God creates. This is the central belief of the Christian faith, while inspired by divine revelation, has been shaped and defined by an idea stated in the work of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato. He is credited for giving subsequent history of philosophy in one of its most compelling and enduring ideas: the notion of a supreme and absolutely transcendent good. In his work The Republic, Plato envision the ideal society, but that plan is only a part of a more fundamental concern that animates the text, which is to provide an objective basis and standard for striving to be moral.

16. Plato was trying to answer questions such as, " Why should I bother trying to be good?" and " Why cannot 'good' be just whatever I say it is?". His answer is in the mouth of the main character Socrates, is that the good is real and not something that one can pretend to make up or ignore.

17. Some scholars turned to his texts and tried to decipher the wealth of ideas contained there. This later scholars are often labeled as Neoplatonists. In the hands of the Neoplatonists, Plato's idea of the good, which is the source of all beings, becomes identified with the one and the Beautiful. This is the ultimate reality, which in the oneness that will give rise to the multiplicity of everything else in cosmos. All these beings have a single goal, which is to return to that unity.

18. Through Neoplatonists like Plotinus, the Platonic idea of the good would continue well into the Christian Middle Ages, inspiring later thinkers and allowing it to be thought a new in a more personal way as a creatibe and loving God.

19. ARISTOTELIAN BEING AND BECOMING Being is part of the essential nature of some abstract entities. They are ideas that exist in the immaterial realm of pure information and do not change. Becoming is the essential nature of concrete material objects, which are always changing, at a minimum changing their positions relative to other objects.

20. ARISTOTELIAN BEING AND BECOMING Aristotle thought one would simply lose one's intelligence as a human, becoming like a vegetable, without this first principle, for all meaningful discourse would vanish

21. What is the concept of being and becoming? There is a distinction between being and becoming. The state of being reflects how a person's nature or behaviour is at present. Becoming is a transition towards an embodiment of the desired change which will demonstrate a transformative movement

22. What are the 4 causes of Aristotelian being and becoming? Material cause: "that out of which" it is made. Efficient Cause: the source of the objects principle of change or stability. Formal Cause: the essence of the object. Final Cause: the end/goal of the object, or what the object is good for.

23. SYNTHESIS is the idea of transcedent good prior to all being resurfaces in Aquinas in the form of the good and loving god, who is himself the fullness of being and of goodness; as Aquinas puts it, God is that which essentially is and is essentially good. So, we recognize that all beings are only possible as participating in the first being, which is God Himself. God's act, like an emanation of light, is the creation of beings.

24. Insofar as God is that from which all beings come, it is possible for us to speak of Him as the first efficient cause." Insofar as God is that toward which all beings seek to return, it is possible for us to speak of Him as the final cause." We see here the beginning of the synthesis by noting how the Neoplatonic movement from and back toward the transcendent is fused with the Aristotelian notion of causes.

25. It is God's will and love that are the cause of all things; to every existing thing, God wills some good." Creation therefore is the activity of the outpouring or overflowing of God's goodness. Since each being in this way participates in God's goodness, each being is in some sense good.

26. Beings are good because they were created by God, but their goodness remains imperfect. God directs them towards their perfection through divine providence, which involves beings being properly ordered and guided towards their ultimate goal of returning to divine goodness. All things come from God and are created to return to Him. Our nature, as a participation in God's goodness, is both good and imperfect.

27. To reach God, we must fulfill our nature the best we can, realizing what God intended for us. Our capacity for reason is the key characteristic of beings, and our way to reach God is by knowing and loving Him. This applies to all humankind and the universe as a whole. Divine reason governs the entire work of creation, directing beings towards their ultimate goal of returning to God.

28. THE ESSENCE AND VARIETIES OF LAW

29. ESSENCE As a rational beings, men have free will, through our capacity for reason, we are able to judge between possibilities and to choose to direct our actions in one way or the other. Our actions are directed toward attaining ends or goods that we desire. We act in pursuit of our own end or good with regard for other people's ends or good. Since we are not an isolated being, that is we belong in a community, we consider what is good for the community as well as our own good. This is called the Common Good.

30. ESSENCE The determination of the proper measure of our acts can be related to as a law. A law is considered with the common good. A law is necessary to be communicating to the people involved in order to enforce them and better ensure compliance. This is referred to as promulgation.

31. VARIETIES ETERNAL LAW is the Divine Wisdom of God which oversees the common good and governs everything. Eternal law is God's plan to lead all creation towards God's eternal salvific plan to be holy and blameless before him through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1;4-5). God, as "Being-itself", is able to promulgate such a law as God the Creator's reason is also perfect wisdom. Everything in nature reflects the eternal law in their own natures. Things act according to their nature. They derive their proper ends (final cause) according the law written into their nature.

32. VARIETIES DIVINE LAW is the historical laws of Scripture given to us through God's self-revelation. Divine law is divided into the old law and the New Law, which correspond to the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. The Old Law, revealed by God to Moses, "is the first stage of revealed Law, Its moral prescriptions are summed up in the Ten Commandments.

33. VARIETIES Natural law is a philosophical theory that states that humans have certain rights, moral values, amd responsibilities that are inherent in human nature. Natural Law theory is based on the idea that natural laws are universal concepts and are not based on culture or customs. Still, it is a way society naturally and inherently as human beings. Human law refers to instance wherein human beings construct and enforce laws in their communities. Human law needs to be assessed in its validity or invalidity; whether or not it confirms to the natural law.

34. THE NATURAL LAW

35. THE NATURAL LAW First, every substance seeks the preservation of its own being, second, there is in man an inclination to things that pertain to him more specially, according to that nature which he has in common with other animals. (sexual intercourse or the care of one's offspring) Third, there is in man an inclination to good, according to the nature of his REASON. Therefore, man has a natural inclination to know the truth about God, and to live in society. (Example is to avoid ignorance and avoid offending those among whom one has to live.

36. IN COMMON WITH OTHER BEINGS • Aquinas identifies nature of man which is common to other beings. This is the desire to preserve one's own being. • A makahiya leaf folds inward and protect itself when touched. A cat tries to run away when it feel threatened. Similarly, humans have their own way of preserving their lives. • Since preservation of life is in line with Natural law, taking one's life is therefore against to it. Murder, therefore is against Natural law. Acts that promote the continuation of life are to be lauded as ethical because they are in line with the Natural law.

37. IN COMMON WITH OTHER ANIMALS Aquinas stated that there are desires wherein we, humans are in common with other animals such as the desire to sexual intercourse and the care of one's offspring. Animals periodically engage in sexual intercourse at a specific time of "heat" which could result to offspring just like how human beings have natural inclination to engage in sexual act and to reproduce.

38. IN COMMON WITH OTHER ANIMALS However, the connection between the sexual act or engaging in a sexual intercourse and fecundity or producing offspring becomes problematic. One issue arose is the acceptability or unacceptability of abortion in Natural law. From the precepts of Natural law, every substance must preserve their beings, therefore the act of preventing a new life is unacceptable.

39. UNIQUELY HUMAN Humans have inclination to good according to the nature of our reason. This natural inclination is to know the truth about God and to live in society. Examples given are to shun ignorance and to avoid offending those people with whom one lives. Therefore, act of deception or fraud would be unacceptable to Aquinas.

40. UNIQUELY HUMAN Aquinas does not go into details enumerating what specific actions would be ethical or unethical. He only gave general guideposts: the epistemic concern (we know we pursue the truth) and the social concern (we know we live in relation to others). The question of what particular acts to pursue or not is something that we have to determine for ourselves through the use of REASON.

41. Thank you