thomas aquinas

founder of natural moral law, very religious, ran away to join the monks, writings underpin many catholic beliefs, italian monk, believed that god instilled us with various skills and inclinations which will allow us to discover an objective morality

‘Do good, avoid evil, spend eternity with God’ - Thomas Aquinas

• both aquinas and aristotle thought humans had a final purpose, an inner purpose to do good

primary precepts

self preservation, preservation of the innocent

continuation of the species through reproduction

educate children

live in an ordered society

worship god (christian)

secondary precepts

jury duty, stand up to bullies

no abortion, no artificial contraception, no same-sex relationships, no sexual activity that cannot result in a child (aquinas was a fat virgin)

send children to school, support free education, don’t lie

follow the speed limit, follow laws, civil, respectful of others

go to church, find a community, pray, read the bible

• if you don’t follow the primary precepts, then you will go to hell and not spend eternity with god

four tiers of law

1. ETERNAL LAW - unchanging reason and morality of god, eternal law always stays the same, implanted within every person’s soul - hard for us to understand (Story of Job)