MODULE 9: ST.

THOMAS AQUINAS: NATURAL LAW AND ITS TENETS

Introduction
For virtue ethics, a good person is somebody who is grounded on wisdom and
virtue. For Aristotle, he speaks of Golden Mean, which is pleasure in moderation.
Virtuous people will enjoy themselves in the right way, at the right time, and just
the right amount. It is from being virtuous as shown in his actions that a person can
be said to be a morally good person. Aquinas, using Aristotle’s philosophy, said that
happiness is also an end. This kind of happiness will be achieved if we seek
knowledge from God and have a personal relationship with Him.

I. Objectives:
In this module, you will be able to:
1. Recognize the meaning of natural law and its relation to ethics.
2. Explain how natural law as an imprint of the Divine Will on the free person.
3. Perceive happiness as constitutive of moral and cardinal virtues.

II. Lectures and Discussions of the lesson/s

Thomas Aquinas/ Tomas de Aquino (1225-1274)

 Greatly influenced by Aristotle
 ''Universal Doctor of the Chruch''
 Birth: 1225, Roccasecca, Italy
 Death: March 7, 1274, Fossanova Abbey, Italy
 Studied at Benedictine house in Naples
 His parents were Landulf (count of Aquino), nephew of the Emperor Frederick
Barbarossa and Theodora Rossi (countess of Teano), a descendent from the
Norman baron.

He is an Italian Catholic priest, philosopher and the “Angelic Doctor.” He was hailed
as the father of the Thomistic school of theology and defender of the Catholic faith
because of his two books. Summa Theologica and Summa Contra Gentiles. He was
the most influential Western medieval legal scholar and theologian that developed
several concepts in modern philosophy.

Natural Law and Its Tenets

Natural law theory is the simplest ethical framework that recognizes the deep
connection between nature and morality. All things in nature or the world have their
own purposes which are part of an all-encompassing law, the natural law. Natural
law is morality built into the nature of people which is rationality. Thus, anything
that is natural-rational is basically moral and vice versa.

With great influence from Aristotle, the father of natural law, Thomas Aquinas is said
to have Christianized Aristotelian philosophy. Aquinas needed first to establish that
humans were created by God and are meant to achieve their ultimate happiness in
heaven or in God. He added that the natural law comes from and ends in God.
Anything that goes against it is considered unnatural and thus immoral.
Aquinas believes in a God (efficient cause) who created the natural world in
order and with purpose as a reflection of his will. People’s human nature
was a special reflection (final cause) or growth in relationship with God,
the supreme good, in order to discover his plan and purpose or nature.

Aquinas’ Natural Law Theory has the following tenets:

Basic Tenets:
1. Eternal law of God is revealed through the Natural Law
Natural Law is revealed to all people through human reason.
3. Natural law has flexibility in its application.
4. The natural laws are universal and unchangeable bases to judge
individual cultures and societies.
5. Everything in the world has its own nature or purpose (natural law) of
being.
6. Humanity has an essential rational nature.
7. Human person can know, through reason, what is in accord with his
own nature, which is good.

Aquinas defines law as a dictate of reason. This dictate of reason is

primarily from the ruler to ensure the order and proper functioning of
everything in a community. By the same reason, he discovers different
laws: eternal, natural, human and divine.

Eternal law is the ideal order of the universe that exist in the mind of God. It
could be known by reason as it discovers the natural law. Everything in the
universe then is just a reflection of the eternal law that exist in God’s mind.
This justifies why human life has infinite value. Human life is a precious gift
from God. Nothing in the world can outweigh it because it is part of God’s
eternal law.

Life Principle: Human life is inviolable.

Natural law as a participation in the eternal law is revealed in nature
especially human nature. This is the moral law, to which people are
naturally inclined to act or do good and avoid evil.

Action Principle: Do good and avoid evil.

It is basically the nature of human persons to survive, to reproduce, to
socialize and to know the truth and God. These are true to all regardless of
race, age, gender, status and culture. These enable people to do good and
choose those that pleases their God.

Survival Principle: Self-preservation is basic to all beings.

All beings naturally preserve themselves by all means. Every being
normally takes care of its own life, and transmit it to the next generation.
Thus, to commit suicide is unnatural and immoral.
 Propagation Principle: All species propagate for self- preservation.
All living species including humans are naturally sexual. This enables them
to propagate their own species and preserve life. They rear and care for
their own offspring.

Morality Principle: There is built-in natural law that governs the morality of human
thinking and behavior.
Human law refers to the positive laws (including civil and criminal laws) that
provide precise guidance and rules of behavior. It supports the natural law
so that if they do not, they are unjust and could be disobeyed. This is a
necessary law in order to maintain peace and order because it promotes
harmony and unity despite diversity

Social Principle: Humans as social beings live in peace and harmony with others.
Divine law refers to the special revelation of God’s will in the Scripture of
the Old and New Testaments. It focuses on how people should become
holy and attain salvation not only here and now but in the final end. Jesus
is said to be the truth and the light that whosoever come to him will have an
everlasting life.

Truth Principle: Humans use their will and reason in seeking

the truth which is found in God.
Happiness as Constitutive of Cardinal Virtues
Following Aristotle, Aquinas believes that human persons have rational
appetite or will that guide all acts achieve their ends or goods. All there ends or
goods ultimately leads to happiness, which is not power, glory,
fame, wealth, honor and pleasure. Happiness is not found in material world
and created things; it is only found in God in who is the source of
everything that is good and perfect

Happiness in God should be contemplated upon by the human person so

that he may counter his desires and avoid unhappiness. The intellect
should seek for the essence of things. It should not just seek God’s
existence but also His very essence.

The ultimate happiness in God is a moral principle that dictates every

behavior. The closer the behavior is to happiness or God, the better it is
and the farther it is to happiness, the worse it is.

But happiness in God is not possible in this imperfect life. Perfect

happiness is only possible in the afterlife. Humans are incapable of seeing
God in this life. Nothing in this world can really and fully make humans
happy. This drives them even more to work hard for that final happiness
Contemplation of God’s essence or goodness can help people focus their good
behaviors to Him and the eternal happiness as final reward for their good
behaviors. Aquinas, like Aristotle believes that through moral virtues,
humans will be able to achieve such happiness closet to God or most
heavenly happiness. Happiness is and will be through the moral virtues
because there is no happiness without virtue and no virtue without self-
struggle.

Aquinas, following Aristotle, holds that there are basic virtues that need to
be developed first as the foundation of other moral virtues. Their perfection
leads to the strength of one’s character.

These are the four cardinal virtues (Latin: cardo – hinge or source):
1. Prudence (controls the intellect in making choices)
2. Courage (controls emotions in facing danger)
3. Justice (controls the will in relating with others)
4. Temperance (controls desires and passions)

PRUDENCE Prudence is the “right reason in action.”

1. Prudence or practical wisdom as the “mother or measure of all the

virtues and emotional health” is the ability to cautiously choose
appropriate actions that best corresponds to circumstance of given
situation. It is being circumspect or able to account all relevant
circumstances. It is the proper disposition that controls, rectifies and
directs emotions and desires, and knows necessary information in
order to do the right and good actions. It is called the “mother of
beautiful character” and the secret to becoming beautiful.

Being prudent includes understanding the first principles or (natural) goods

in life such as truth, life, religion, and family. It is also means having
practical memory, that is, the ability to recall and learn from facts,
experiences and mistakes. Furthermore, prudence is open-mindedness
that recognizes and accepts limitations. It also entails smartness in
assessing situation, getting clues, adjusting appropriately or being subtle,
discreet and highly intuitive.

Prudence essentially applies the principle of proportionality.

Proportionality Principle: It is the right action for the right reason and result, at the
right situation, time and place, and with the right weight and right person or virtue.

●Proportionality is the process of understanding and assessing the

nature and effects of possible action in order to choose the most
appropriate action, control its application, effects and situation, and
be responsible with the persons involved. In Roman Catholic moral
theology, proportionality is the reasonable balance between human
activity and consequences. It is the proportionate reason to tolerate evil or an
attack. Proportionate virtue is doing as much good as
possible and as little harm or bad as necessary while paying attention
to all values and disvalues involved. Honesty must be executed
proportionately such as when a soldier is being interrogated by the
enemies. To spare the lives of his comrades, he may tell lies.

COURAGE PRINCIPLE Courage is “Perseverance in adversity”

2. Moral Courage is being cautious but certain in front of danger and

risk. It is the strength and endurance to control emotions and to bear
suffering, fear, uncertainty, anxiety and pressure. It is humbly
swallowing pride and using failures or limitations as advantages.
Moral dilemmas and choices can be very detrimental. Situations can
be dangerous. But moral courage enables one to survive, resist
temptations and vices, and constantly pursue what is right and good
at all cost – martyrdom, or giving up of one’s precious life.

Moral courage is supported by good reasons or moral principles such as

integrity, honesty, common good and justice which may be greater than life
in some situations. People sometimes ought to die for principles to be
happy so that courage is greatly necessary. Moral courage is not
recklessness, fearlessness, passion, excessive anger, and suppressed
fear. It is not even valor or heroism which may involve official
declaration and award, social affirmation and immortalization through
monuments, shrines, laws and medals. It is greater than all of these; it is a
spiritual and intellectual virtue that priorities principles and ideals are more
than anything else.

JUSTICE PRINCIPLE Justice is giving what fairly belongs to

others and to God.

3. Justice is fairness that consist in giving to God and neighbor what is

due to each of them. It is giving them what rightly belongs to them as
part of a good and just society and being a social being. This disposition enables
people to respect others and their rights so that
they can live harmoniously, peacefully and prosperously.
Being just is to constantly being conscious of one’s behavior as it may
affect others. It is important to carefully evaluate every situation so that
behavior and decisions may b proper to others also. One does not live
alone so that whatever one does will always have a direct and indirect
effect on others and worship to God.

TEMPERANCE PRINCIPLE Temperance is the practice of self-

control, abstention and moderation.
4. Temperance is self-restraint, self-control, self-regulation and
moderation towards attraction to pleasure and created goods. It is the
disposition of reason to balance and control desires, passions or
appetites. Every self-restrain or self-regulation ultimately leads to a
sound reason. Passions can be very destructive if they are not
tempered as they may cloud and bring disorder to reason. The
recurring problem on intemperance in the use of drugs, sex, money,
environmental destruction are only proofs that the absence of
temperance can destroy the person, family, society and the whole
world. Others call temperance as “moderation in all things.”

Temperance is best practiced by many people through abstinence in food

and drink, sexual pleasures. Others are also good at having proper diet and
exercise, being thrifty. Highly well-tempered people are chaste, charitable,
diligent, patient, kind and humble.

Self-control in the simple aspects of life reflects not only a strong

character but also a happy life. This reveals that what really brings real
happiness are not sensual or material things but ideas or principles such as
self-discipline, moderation, contentment.

Self-indulgence and sensuality are forms of intemperance that may

drive people towards enslaving and additive sins or vices: gluttony, greed,
sloth, lust, drunkenness, wrath, mediocrity, envy, pride, maltreatment, bullying,
drug addiction, lying, stealing.
Nevertheless, all these four cardinal virtues for Aquinas will fail and could
not reach the highest happiness without the theological virtues of faith,
hope and love. These heavenly virtues will relate human persons to God
and each other because they provide true knowledge and desire for Him
and His will.

Faith disposes to recognize, believe and trust in God. Hope disposes

people to always long or wish for Him and to be always with Him because
he is the only true happiness. Love finally disposes people to desire Him, to
serve Him and to worship Him. These Christian virtues truly reflect the virtues of
Jesus which could be hard to comprehend and far different from
Aristotle’s means. To exercise these virtues, people should contemplate on
the God’s will and not according to the will of people and the human
reason. Anything opposes these virtues are called sins. The sins: against
faith are unbelief, skepticism, agnosticism, apostasy and heresy; against
love are envy, bitterness, greed, hate, animosity, sedition and treason.

Anything opposes these virtues are called sins. The sins: against faith are
unbelief, skepticism, agnosticism, apostasy and heresy; against love are
envy, bitterness, greed, hate, animosity, sedition and treason.
 THOMISTIC PRINCIPLE What is good or right is anything done
out of virtue because it brings
happiness with God.

REFERENCES
1. Makie, Gleemoore C., Ethics: Flourishing Life, Research, Statistics,
Business Consultancy and Publishing Company, 2020
2. Pasco M. O., Suàrez V. F., Rodriguez A. G., “Ethics” C&E Publishing,
Inc., 2018
3. Bulaong O., Calano M., Lagliva A., Mariano M., Principe J., “Ethics:
Foundation of Moral Valuation”, 1st edition, REX Book Store, 2018
Ramos, Carmela, “Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human
Person”, (1st edition), REX Book Store, 2016