Natural Law – Precepts and Laws

By the end of this lesson you will have:

•Understood the absolute primary precepts that we

all have• Have considered what secondary precepts are and how they relate to

primary precepts• Have examined the four

different types of law

Do we need to believe in God?

• Going against natural order, often leads to negative consequences.

• God can modify the application of natural law or add to it. For example in Genesis 22 God modified the law in asking Abraham to kill Isaac

Is natural law truly universal?

• We can all use our reason to discover it

• It is immutable and will not cease to exist as long as humans exist

• Immutability applies to the absolute principle, not to the law which expresses it. I.e ‘you shall not murder’ = law, ‘prohibition of the unjust taking of a life’ = absolute principle

Can we all be perfect through Natural Law?

• Natural Law is a guide of how to live the good life and get into heaven.

• However,• ‘Since all have sinned and fallen short

of the glory of God’ – Romans 3:23• This suggests that people are bound

to sin now and again, we will never attain the perfection of natural law

Primary Precepts

• Live• Learn• Order Society• Worship God• Reproduce

• Written on our hearts – ABSOLUTIST (everyone has a heart...)

• The MAIN PURPOSES in life. We use our reason to fulfil these precepts

Secondary Precepts

• Laws which are made by humans to uphold the primary precepts

• Can you think of five laws which uphold the primary precepts?

• Secondary precepts can change from society to society

• But tend to stay the same. • Read your extracts to discover what

these say about primary and secondary precepts.

4 Levels of Law

• Eternal Law

• Divine Law

• Natural Law

• Human Law

Cardinal Virtues

• Aquinas believed that we all seek to follow the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance.

• Again, these are absolutist and accessible to all, regardless of whether they have access to the scriptures

Summary Task

• Complete the summary and picture sheet on Natural Law

• It should include:• Origins• Aquinas• Goods• Reason• Biblical links• Precepts• Acts• Laws• Virtues

Essay Practise

• Imagine you have this question in your exam:• ‘Outline Aquinas’ Natural Law Theory’• Write a sentence down on your sheet of paper. • Then pass it along to the person next to you,

who will write the next sentence. • By the end of the lesson we should have 15

essays on Natural Law – which will be the best?