Natural Moral Law

1. Efficient and final cause
   1. Everything has a final 'good'

      Annotations:

      • This is achieved by fulfilling the purpose for which it was designed.
      1. Everything has a telos/purpose
2. The purpose for humans is to achieve happiness (Eudaimonia)

   Annotations:

   • This is achieved through the use of reason to become a rational human being.

1. Primary precepts

   Annotations:

   • - Worship God - Ordered society - Reproduce - Learn - Defend the innocent
   1. The secondary precepts can be figured out from the primary precepts if reason is used correctly.
   2. Direct revalation from God.
   3. Absolute laws
2. The final purpose of a human being is communion with God
3. Good
   1. Real
      1. "All men tend towards the good."
         1. Humans cannot seek evil because we are made in the image of God.
   2. Apparent
      1. An act which appears good, but is morally wrong.
4. The 4 Laws

   Annotations:

   • - Eternal Law: God's will.- Divine Law: The Bible, 10 Commandments, teachings of Jesus.- Natural Law: Use of human reason to do good and avoid evil.- Human Law: The laws we create.
   • The laws work like a hierarchy where each level is based on the level before (i.e you cannot have natural law without divine law). Therefore, all laws come from God.

1. "To disparage the dictate of reason is equivalent to condemninng the command of God."

   Annotations:

   • To ignore your reason is to ignore God.
2. Only humans have reason
   1. Reason is a gift from God to help us know our purpose.
3. To sin is to go against our reason or to seek an apparent good.

Annotations:

• - Prudence- Justice- Fortitude- Temperance