Natural Moral Law

A normative ethical theory that holds that there are rights and moral values that can be understood from human nature and deducted by human reason.

Aquinas took Aristotle's ideas about happiness as the goal of human life and combined them with a Christian view of that goal as union with God in the next life.

1. Eternal law - Comes from God's nature as creator and like a 'blueprint in the mind of God', because God created all humans with a common human nature, what is right for one must be right for everyone.
2. Divine law - Revealed to humans through special revelation and found in the Bible and Church teachings, acting as a reminder from God.
3. Natural moral law - Natural moral order discovered through human reason, the part of God's eternal law that humans can understand simply through applying reason. We know through reason that murder, theft and rape are wrong.
4. Human law - Laws formulated by humans based on their understanding of NML and appears in our legal system.

"Good is to be done and evil is to be avoided."
All other precepts of NML is based on this fundamental principle. This is considered self-evident and the starting point for all moral reasoning.

1) Preservation of life.
2) Reproduction
3) Worship God
4) Education
5) Live in an ordered society.
Aquinas used phrases like 'and so forth' shows he saw NML as having some flexibility.

It is concerned with the our final end or goal.
1.Earthly telos - our goal on earth is eudamonia, the primary precepts are self-evident principles necessary for achieving happiness.
2. ultimate telos - complete happiness cannot be found in anything created, only the beatific vision of God promised in the next life can fully satisfy human will.
3. Individual telos - everyone has an individual purpose based on their natural abilities.

Derive from the primary precepts and govern how we should act in specific situations and provide concrete guidance for everyday moral decision-making.
The key principle is that whatever promotes the final cause is right; whatever goes against it is wrong.
E.g.If the final cause of sex is reproduction, then any sexual act that does not lead directly to the possibility of procreation is wrong because it violates the nature and purpose of sexual intercourse.

Masturbation, bestiality, contraception and homosexual sex is wrong.

All humans will the good (actively desire to bring about good)
But we can become confused about what is truly good.
Adultery can feel like a real good because of its short-term pleasure but when we consider what it involves, such as, betrayal, injustice or lies, it is not really good.

Exterior acts alone are not good enough for true morality, they must be accompanied by the right interior intention.
E.g. Giving money to a charity is a good exterior act, but it is only properly good if it is done with the right intention and not to look good in front of others.

1. Prudence - the ability to understand a situation and use practical reason to work out what to do.
2. Justice
3. Fortitude - courage
4. Temperance - self-control
These can be achieved through human ability

1. Faith - belief in God and what is revealed through scriptures and Church
2. Hope of heaven and the beatific vision
3. Agape
Given to humans through God's grace.