2.1.2
St Thomas Aquinas - Precepts
The Precepts
The Precepts
The overriding principle of Aquinas natural law is “do good and avoid evil”. This is the synderesis rule.
Natural human desire to do good
Natural human desire to do good
- Aquinas believed that humans naturally want to do good and, through their ability to reason, can work out the correct course of action.
What are the primary precepts?
What are the primary precepts?
- Aquinas proposed five primary precepts. These are the five fundamental rules that guide human behaviour.
- Our actions must uphold these precepts at all times. If they do, our action is right. If they do not, the action is wrong.
The five precepts
The five precepts
- Preservation of Life - to defend and protect human life.
- Ordered Society - to live in a lawful society following the primary precepts.
- Worship God - to pray to God who gives the eternal law.
- Education - to learn and teach others about God and his law.
- Reproduce - to continue God's creation.
Secondary precepts
Secondary precepts
- When humans are faced with a moral choice, they must use reasoning to work out whether or not their action will uphold the primary precept.
- In doing this, they create a secondary precept. This is an application of the Natural Law to a specific situation.
- The secondary precepts vary depending on the situation. But they will always uphold the primary precepts.
Absolute wrongs in Catholicism
Absolute wrongs in Catholicism
- For example, 'killing' of any kind (murder, euthanasia, abortion) is always wrong because any type of killing breaks the primary precept of preservation of life.
- This continues to influence the Catholic Church today, which teaches that homosexual activity is a sin because it cannot lead to reproduction.
- The same reasoning applies to the use of artificial contraception.
1Philosophy of Religion
1.1Ancient Philosophical Influences: Plato
1.2Ancient Philosophical Influences: Aristotle
1.3Ancient Philosophical Influences: Soul, Mind, Body
1.4The Existence of God - Arguments from Observation
1.5The Existence of God - Arguments from Reason
1.6Religious Experience
1.7The Problem of Evil
1.8The Nature & Attributes of God
1.9Religious Language: Negative, Analogical, Symbolic
2Religion & Ethics
2.1Natural Law
2.2Situation Ethics
2.3Kantian Ethics
2.4Utilitarianism
2.5Euthanasia
3Developments in Christian Thought
3.1Saint Augustine's Teachings
3.2Death & the Afterlife
3.3Knowledge of God's Existence
3.4The Person of Jesus Christ
3.5Christian Moral Principles
3.6Christian Moral Action
3.7Development - Pluralism & Theology
3.8Development - Pluralism & Society
3.9Gender & Society
3.10Gender & Theology
Jump to other topics
1Philosophy of Religion
1.1Ancient Philosophical Influences: Plato
1.2Ancient Philosophical Influences: Aristotle
1.3Ancient Philosophical Influences: Soul, Mind, Body
1.4The Existence of God - Arguments from Observation
1.5The Existence of God - Arguments from Reason
1.6Religious Experience
1.7The Problem of Evil
1.8The Nature & Attributes of God
1.9Religious Language: Negative, Analogical, Symbolic
2Religion & Ethics
2.1Natural Law
2.2Situation Ethics
2.3Kantian Ethics
2.4Utilitarianism
2.5Euthanasia
3Developments in Christian Thought
3.1Saint Augustine's Teachings
3.2Death & the Afterlife
3.3Knowledge of God's Existence
3.4The Person of Jesus Christ
3.5Christian Moral Principles
3.6Christian Moral Action
3.7Development - Pluralism & Theology
3.8Development - Pluralism & Society
3.9Gender & Society
3.10Gender & Theology
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