Natural Law - Aquinas and Reason

Reason

• Aquinas believed that we should reason as the ability to do so is God-given so it should be put to good use.
• It also helps us strive to achieve perfection which is union with God.
• Our innate (born-with) ability to reason allows us to make a right ethical decision based on our judgement.

Natural Law is Hierarchical

• Eternal Law: The mind of God which we cannot know. This is the ultimate law and it contains laws which govern the creation of the universe and control the life cycle of everything which exists. Scientific knowledge can help us catch a glimpse of Eternal Law through nature and how the world works.

• Divine Law: This is the word of God which we can access through scriptures such    as the Bible and also through the teachings of Jesus. This is the law of God and it provides a guide to show the ways in we must act.

• Natural Law: This is the law which we are innate with. Everyone has a sense of        right and wrong and we all know that we should do good and avoid evil. It directs our conscience and through the power of reason we can…