1. Aristotle to Natural Law Aquinas’ creation of Natural Law

2. Aristotle to Natural Law Aristotle’s ideas were used by Thomas Aquinas to form his theory of Natural Law - to argue that the world was created by God and everything should therefore have God’s ultimate purpose as its final ‘end’ or ‘good’.

3. Recap What is efficient cause What is eudemonia What is final cause What is purpose

4. What is Natural Law Natural Law is unchangeable and universal- the goods govern all human cultures at all times- valid for all nations and all times. Aquinas considered that natural law was the moral code which human beings are naturally inclined towards. God reveals specific commands but these do not go against Natural Law but rather further develop it. Aquinas said that the moral like is the life which is lived “according to reason” and acting in accordance with reason was the same as acting as a Christian would act.

5. Aquinas view of purpose Natural Law says that everything has a purpose, and that mankind was made by God with a specific design or objective in mind (although it doesn’t require belief in God). It says that this purpose can be known through reason. As a result, fulfilling the purpose of our design is the only ‘good’ for humans. Efficient and final causes: It is Aristotle’s distinction between what gets things done (efficient cause) and the end product (final cause). With humans, it is the accomplishment of the end product that equates to ‘good’. An example is sexuality- an efficient cause of sex is enjoyment: because humans enjoy sex, the species has survived through procreation. However, the final cause of sex (the thing God designed it for) is procreation. Therefore sex is only good if procreation is possible.

6. Reason and Purpose The purpose of humans is: To live To reproduce To learn To have an ordered society To worship God Reason is used to find out God’s intention and the purpose of human existence and this will enable one to arrive at the principles of Natural Law. Natural Law says that everything has a purpose, and that mankind was made by God with a specific design or objective in mind (although it doesn’t require belief in God). It says that this purpose can be known through reason. As a result, fulfilling the purpose of our design is the only ‘good’ for humans. Aquinas believed that the 5 primary precepts (as above) are the final purpose for all human beings.

7. Primary Precepts and Secondary precepts Primary precepts are our purpose in life Secondary precepts are the absolute rules that are formed from the primary precepts – for example the primary precept to reproduce would lead to the absolute law against the use of contraception and abortion.