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Divine Law Theory & Natural Law Theory

Divine Law Theory holds that an action is morally good if it is commanded by God, with the goal of man being to return to union with God. However, the Euthyphro Problem questions whether an action is morally right because God commands it, or if God commands it because it is morally right. Natural Law Theory believes morality comes from human nature and reason. It asserts that our natural goal is "Good" and evil deeds go against human nature. Aquinas argued we can understand natural law through reason and our innate desires like life, procreation, and society. The Principle of Double Effect provides guidelines for when pursuing a good end is permissible even if it also causes bad effects, like a doctor relie

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Maica Lectana
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410 views20 pages

Divine Law Theory & Natural Law Theory

Divine Law Theory holds that an action is morally good if it is commanded by God, with the goal of man being to return to union with God. However, the Euthyphro Problem questions whether an action is morally right because God commands it, or if God commands it because it is morally right. Natural Law Theory believes morality comes from human nature and reason. It asserts that our natural goal is "Good" and evil deeds go against human nature. Aquinas argued we can understand natural law through reason and our innate desires like life, procreation, and society. The Principle of Double Effect provides guidelines for when pursuing a good end is permissible even if it also causes bad effects, like a doctor relie

Uploaded by

Maica Lectana
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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DIVINE LAW THEORY &

NATURAL LAW THEORY


Objective
Understand Divine Law Theory
 City of God and City of Man
 Euthyphro Problem

Understand Natural Law Theory


 Nature of Man
 Principle of Double Effect
Divine Law Theory: St. Augustine
He is also called as Saint Augustine of
Hippo

One of his works left a lasting influence –


the City of God was widely read in
Augustine’s time and throughout the
Middle Ages and still demands attention
today.
The City of God
The City of God was written in response to pagan claims
that the collapse of Roman Empire by barbarians was one
of the consequences of the abolition of pagan worship by
Christian emperors.

The collapse of Roman Empire gave rise to Christianity to


become the official religion.

St. Augustine responded by asserting, to the contrary, that


Christianity saved the city from complete destruction and
that Rome’s fall was the result of internal moral decay.
Divine Law Theory
It proposes that an action is morally good if
it is commanded by God. The theory asserts
that what is moral is determined by what
God commands, and that for a person to be
moral is to follow his commands.

That the source of Morality is God. God is


Moral and Good.
Divine Law Theory
The Goal of Man is to return to paradise. A
union with God; from the City of Man
(earthly world, the place of man’s sinful nature)
towards the City of God (the place where we
honor God in all things, to pull man towards
“heaven”).

The Means toward the goal is to do God’s will


(Good) and avoid what he forbids (Evil).
The Euthyphro Problem
This problem or dilemma presents two
questions to ponder.

1. Is an action morally right because God


commanded them? Or

2. Is an action commanded by God because


it is morally right?
Analysis of the Euthyphro Problem
Is an action morally right because God
commanded them?

The law and moral code dictates that killing


is wrong. In fact, it is one of the 10
commandments of God as written in the
Bible which prohibits killing as it devalue
human life.
Is an action morally right because God
commanded them?

But what if God commanded you to kill a


rapist? Will you kill the rapist? Is it morally
right?

If God commanded you to kill your


mother? Will you kill your mother? Is it
morally right?
Analysis of the Euthyphro Problem
Is an action commanded by God because it
is morally right?

It is established that killing is wrong as our


law and moral code dictates that it is
morally wrong. But do we need law to
know that it is wrong? Do we need God to
command us that it is morally wrong?
Natural Law Theory: St. Aquinas
St. Thomas Aquinas is also known as the
“Angelic Doctor”

He lived at a critical juncture of western


culture when the arrival of the
Aristotelian corpus in Latin translation
reopened the question of the relation
between faith and reason
Natural Law Theory

A theory which believes that the nature of


man is Good.

Accordingly, “Good” is the natural goal of


man and that our actions are driven towards
this “Good”.
Natural Law Theory

What is consistent with the Natural Law


is right and what is not in keeping with the
Natural Law is wrong .

Hence evil deeds are unnatural and


immoral.

The goal of man is to exercise the nature of


being “Good” by following his nature.
How does a Man understand his Nature?
Aquinas believed that God imbued
everyone with the right scope of knowledge
to fully tackle life and understand our
nature.

These are the instinctive knowledge that


promotes good because God supposedly
promotes good. We are provided “reason”,
for us to act and pursue the good.
How does a Man understand his Nature

Laws of Nature are discernable by human


reason.  

Thus, humans are morally obliged to use


their reasoning to discern what the laws are
and to act in conformity with them.
EPILOGS (Mnemonic)
LIFE
PROCREATE
EDUCATION
SEEK GOD
LIVE IN A SOCIETY
AVOID OFFENSE
SHUN IGNORANCE
How does a Man understand his Nature
Humans have a natural drive to eat, drink,
sleep and procreate.  These actions are in
accord with a natural law for species to
survive and procreate. 

Thus activities in conformity with such a


law are morally good.  Activities that work
against that law are morally wrong. 
Principle of Double Effect
This principle aims to provide specific
guidelines for determining when it is
morally permissible to perform an action
in pursuit of a good end in full knowledge
that the action will also bring about bad
results.
Principle of Double Effect
It generally states that, in cases where a
contemplated action has both good effects
and bad effects, the action is permissible
only if it is not wrong in itself and if it
does not require that one directly intend
the evil result.
Principle of Double Effect
The principle may be used to justify a case
where a doctor gives drugs to a patient to
relieve distressing symptoms even though
he knows doing this may shorten the
patient's life. This is because the doctor is
not aiming directly at killing the patient -
the bad result of the patient's death is
a side-effect of the good result of reducing
the patient's pain.

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