Aquinas' Natural Law Ethics

The idea that God has instilled a moral code within our nature, guiding us towards good actions.

The ability of reason to discover and understand the foundational principles of God's natural moral law.

The universal principle that all things naturally seek their end or purpose (telos).

Primary precepts are the core ethical principles based on our natural inclinations towards the good, as designed by God.

Applying primary precepts to specific situations or actions, leading to a judgment about the right course.

A specific ethical judgment reached by applying primary precepts to a particular situation.

The human process of understanding and applying natural moral law through reasoning.

Aquinas' theory that human reason is used to understand and follow God's natural moral law.

The ability to know general principles of the natural moral law but make mistakes in applying them to specific situations.

Mistakes in applying the natural moral law to specific situations or actions due to factors like original sin, bad habits, or corrupt culture.

Actions that appear good to someone using faulty reasoning, but are actually not good.

The idea that we must always follow our conscience, even if it's wrong, because acting against it means acting against what we believe is right.

A type of ignorance where a person could not have known better and is not blamed for their action.

A type of ignorance where a person could have known better and is blamed for their action.

The belief that human nature has an innate orientation towards doing good, derived from the natural moral law.

The idea that cultural differences in moral beliefs show there's no innate God-given ability to discover the natural moral law.

Freud's idea that society shapes our moral values through conditioning.

The argument that certain universal moral similarities, like the golden rule, suggest a shared human moral nature.

The idea that universal moral similarities might have evolved biologically rather than being divinely designed.

The idea that the natural moral law, while innate, can be corrupted by factors like bad habits or a corrupt culture.

A theory that suggests that moral values are not absolute but are relative to each culture and society. Different cultures have different moral codes.

The golden rule is a central principle in many different cultures and religions that states that one should treat others as they would like to be treated. It emphasizes the importance of empathy and consideration for others.

The theory that morality is derived from the inherent nature of things. There are objective moral truths that can be discovered through reason and understanding of the world.

A moral philosopher who argued that human reason can understand God's natural moral law through the ability of human reason to know the synderesis rule and primary precepts.

A theologian who argued that Aquinas' natural law theory was a false natural theology because it placed too much reliance on human reason. He believed that only faith in God's revelation in the bible is valid.

The idea that humans are limited in their ability to understand God's infinite nature. It suggests that human reason cannot fully grasp the divine.

The worship of earthly things or human creations instead of God. Barth argued that people who rely on reason might fall into idolatry.

The state of human nature after the fall from grace, experiencing sin and imperfection. Barth argued that after the fall, human reason could not reach God.

The doctrine of a church's teaching, including its beliefs, practices and doctrines. Barth argued that revelation is necessary because of the limitations of human reason.

A philosopher who argues that Barth's rejection of natural law is too absolute and that there is evidence of natural law even in a fallen world.

The unconscious part of the mind that is driven by primal instincts and desires. Freud believed that the Id is the source of our basic urges.

The conscious part of the mind that mediates between the Id and the external world. It helps us find acceptable ways to satisfy our desires.

The part of the mind that represents our internalized moral values. It acts as a voice of conscience and judges our behavior.

Freud's theory that children develop an attraction to their opposite-sex parent and hostility towards their same-sex parent, which eventually resolves as they identify with the same-sex parent.

Freud's psychosexual stage where sexual desires are repressed and children focus on social and intellectual development.

Freud's final psychosexual stage where mature sexual desires are channeled towards love and marriage. This involves a balanced ego that manages both id and superego.

A child's understanding of right and wrong based solely on external authority figures, such as parents, without internalizing the moral principles.

The development of one's own internal moral compass based on abstract principles and reasoned understanding of right and wrong, emerging around age 11.

Freud's belief that social order relies on repressing natural instincts like aggression and sexuality. Religion's role in this is to encourage repression.

Freud's view that religion's approach to conscience is too reliant on external authority and punishment, leading to a form of 'childhood neurosis'.

Freud's argument that a secular society, where individuals rationally understand the need for social rules, would be more effective at achieving social harmony than religion.

Freud's idea that religion's use of 'original sin' is a primitive way to deal with our natural instincts, causing as much unhappiness as it prevents.

Freud's perspective that the effectiveness of religious rules depends on an external authority like God, which makes them rigid and less effective than rules based on reason and societal needs.

Aquinas' natural law ethics, which argues that following natural law involves the use of reason to discern God's eternal law, leading to virtue and flourishing.

Freud's criticism of external and inflexible religious rules, as seen in Augustine's approach to morality.

The complex interaction of factors like culture, environment, genetics, and education that contribute to the development of one's conscience.

The nature of conscience, whether it exists as a separate entity or is simply a product of various external and internal influences.

The ethical implications of applying scientific methods to study and understand the conscience.