Secondary precepts
These are rules that help people to know what they should or should not do. They are deduced from
the primary precepts and help to uphold them.
What might a secondary precept of these be;
To worship God –
To live in an ordered society –
To reproduce –
To learn and educate the young –
To defend the innocent and preserve life –
However the secondary precepts are not fully absolute. They have to be interpreted in the context
of the situation and there is some flexibility for extreme cases. For example if you have a secondary
precept of do not steal, yet someone comes in and has a gun and is about to kill everyone, it is ok to
steal the gun. It is the rational thing to do as it fulfils the primary precept of living in an ordered
society and protecting the innocent.
The Doctrine of Double Effect
You may not always know what the results of your actions will be. You are therefore only
responsible for the immediate intended consequences of your action and not for any secondary and
unintended effects.
For example abortion is wrong as it interferes with primary precepts. However if a doctor was to
perform a hysterectomy (because there is no other choice) to remove a cancerous uterus from a
pregnant women to save her life, this act would also lead to the death of the foetus. This is still
acceptable as the original intention was to save the woman’s life and killing the foetus was an
unintended by-product of the action.
Can you think of an example from sexual ethics? -
This rule is not attempting to undermine Natural Law but rather offers a solution to a very complex
problem of trying to find a single rule to cover a situation which may have complex layers. This is
another element of the theory which indicates a level of relativity.
Interior and Exterior acts
In order to act correctly both interior and exterior acts must be good. If the interior act is bad then
the overall act is bad.
Using page 83 define;
Exterior acts -
Interior acts -
Real and Apparent Goods
Aquinas stated that certain cardinal and theological virtues allowed people to achieve ideal human
nature. However humans often fall short of this and sin as they confuse apparent good with real
good. He believed that humans are essentially good and no one intentionally pursues evil but rather
their use of reason is dysfunctional eg their desires and emotions override their rationality.
Using pg 84 define
Real good –
Apparent good –
The Cardinal and Theological Virtues;
Virtue comes from the Greek word areté meaning excellence in terms of character.
Aquinas stated that reason can guide people to developing the right virtues which in turn will lead to
happiness. They are important as they are the human qualities that will help us live a moral life and
thus achieve a life in heaven with God.
The Four Cardinal Virtues;
These are necessary to form the basis of a moral life. They are called cardinal as it originates from
the Latin term cardo meaning hinge – they are what humans afterlife hinge upon.
Using pg 81 in the book add definitions to the diagram below –
Prudence
Temperance
Aquinas Cardinal
Virtues
Justice
Fortitude
The Theological Virtues;
These are often referred to as the revealed virtues as they were disclosed through Scripture. They
are also called the theological virtues as they are aimed at God. Christian theology teaches that
these virtues differ from the cardinal virtues as they cannot be obtained purely by human effort.
They can only be achieved by being connected to God’s grace.
Using pg 82 of your books provide definitions for the three virtues –
Faith
Aquinas’
revealed/
theological
virtues
Charity
Hope
What did Aquinas say was a key element of human existence?
What were the four types of law identified by Aquinas – name and explain
What are the five primary precepts of Natural Law?
How do the primary precepts achieve humanity’s final purpose?
What is a secondary precept?
How do secondary precepts help humans achieve their ultimate purpose?
Why are certain virtues important to Aquinas?
What is the difference between an interior and exterior act?
Why did Aquinas say people should develop real goods?
Explain the absolutist features of Natural Law (30). Create an essay plan below of what you would
need to address in this question and the terminology you would need