Aquinas argues that "the virtue of any subordinate thing is being well subordinated to that which by which it is regulated". Through this he argues that whether or not the law itself is good, observation of the law is as it "enhances the virtue of the subject". It is the nature of law to make those who are subject to it good, either simply, in that the law is good or in particular respect to the law through obedience.
Simply: It is the nature of those who are subject to law that they are made more virtuous by following law, regardless of the character of the law. He also says that a tyrannical law is not a true law, but a "perversion of law".
Natural Law is a habit, not "properly and essentially", meaning roughly "habitual by its very nature", as it is the product of reason; but because they are habitual in our reason, as "the term habit may be applied to that which we hold by habit"- in this case, Natural Law is a habit in that what we hold by Natural Law is a habit. The analogy given is: "faith may mean that which we hold by faith"
Simply: The first article argues that Natural Law is a habit because it is used to mean "that which we hold (or believe) by Natural Law".
Something can be self-evident in one of two ways, either by being self-evident to us, or self-evident in respect to itself. Any valid statement is self-evident in respect to itself, but may not be self-evident in respect to a person who lacks the proper understanding.
There is an order to which things can be known. The first thing that can be known is being, which is always understood no matter what a man thinks about.
This brings fourth the "first indemonstrable principle"-or the first thing that cannot be shown to be true but must be true- "the same thing cannot be affirmed and denied at the same time".
Indemonstrable Principles have the same relation to Matters of Demonstration/Speculative Reason as the principles of Natural Law have to "Operable Matters" or Practical Reason. In other words, as Natural Law is the axiom-logical starting point-upon which we base "Operable Matters" and Practical Reason. The same is true of Indemonstrable Principles in their relation to Matters of Demonstration and Speculative Reason
Put much more simply: The principles of "Natural Law"-the fundamental truths governing the world-are the source of our understanding of how to act ("Operable Matters"/Practical Reason); The principles of "Indemonstrable Principles"-the truths from which all logic stems-are the source of our capability to derive information (Matters of Demonstration/Speculative Reason)
Since being is the first indemonstrable principle; good is the first thing understood in practical reason. (So,being is the most basic principle upon which we base our capability to derive information, and thus understand the world; and good is the most basic principle upon which we base our understanding of how to act) This is understood by stating that all things act for an end, which is said to have the nature of good. Here, Aquinas claims that something that works for an end is good, and thus "good is that which all things seek after".
Because of this, Natural Law has only one precept, which is, “good is to be done and promoted, and evil is to be avoided”. All other precepts stem from this one main precept and can be reduced to this first precept, just as all logic is based of knowledge of existence.
Natural Law is the sum of things that are the natural inclination of man. It is natural to act according to reason. Reason is universal, and therefore it is logical that Natural Law is, in principle (the product of speculative reason, which is always true), the same to all men. However, practice is not theory, and because of this practical law disagrees with true law in some ways. As Aquinas says: “natural law…is the same for all, both as to rectitude and as to knowledge. But as to certain more particular aspects…of those common principles, it is the same for all in a majority of cases…yet in some few cases it may fail, both as to rectitude, by reason of certain obstacles.”
In other words; because sometimes what is truly correct is not practical, truth may be adapted as necessary for the sake of practicality.
There are two ways in which Natural Law can be changed: addition and subtraction. In cases of addition, Aquinas says: “nothing hinders the natural law from being changed, since many things for the benefit of human life have been added over and above the natural law, both by divine law and by human laws.” This means that the Natural Laws may be added to freely.
In cases of subtraction, Aquinas says: “that what was previously understood was according to natural law ceases to be so,” and since natural law is “altogether unchangeable in its first principles”, meaning that the principles that Natural Law is based on never change; it most be that the secondary principles-those principles derived as approximations of truth from the first principles-are changed. There is one other prohibition on the changing of Natural Law that it muse be the case that the Natural Law “is not changed so that what it prescribes be not right in most cases.”
Simply: Natural Law can change. If it is added to their is no problem. If the change is subtracted from the Natural Law it must be from the secondary principles, not the primary. Also Natural Law cannot be changed so that it is wrong more than right.
Man has a natural inclination to be good and virtuous, but requires training in order to arrive at virtue. This training is introduced in the form of laws so that “they [men] might desist from evil-doing…and that they themselves…might be brought to do willingly what hitherto they did from fear, and thus become virtuous,”
Simply: Laws are useful for educating man in what is right.
A law is only a law if it is just. Justice is the product of correctness by the rule of reason, the first rule of which is the law of nature. If a human law departs from the law of nature, it is no longer a law but perversion of law. There are two ways in which laws can be made, one is as a direct logical conclusion from principles of Natural Law; the second is as a product of common notions about Natural Law. In the first case, the law created has the force of Natural Law, in the second case there is no force but Human Law.
Simply: A law is only a law if it is just and therefore must be derived from Natural Law. A law can be derived from Natural Law either as a direct product of its principles, which gives it direct force from Natural Law, or as the product of common agreed upon thoughts about Natural Law, which gives it only the force of Human Law.
When: 1225-1274
Where: Italy, Cologne, University of Paris
Significance: Aquinas’ concepts of natural law highly influenced both Christian thinking and views on government and laws; even today his concepts’ influence can be seen
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