Ethics

What defines the eternal law and natural law As human beings, there are legal laws prescribed through policies implemented by the government that are to be understood and taken into consideration in everyday living. Apart from the legal laws, there are also the concepts of eternal law and natural law that need to be understood. Through the questions posted in Question 91 and 94, Aquinas is able to provide a body of knowledge regarding eternal law and natural law. In order to understand the two bodies of law, questions from the  Summa Theologica  are posted together with the arguments that served as answers to the inquiries posted. The objections and the replies of Aquinas are both included to show a better understanding of the issues and the responses that are made in relation to the questions. After discussing the objections and the replies, it can be said that natural law and eternal law both exists among the human beings and the former is understood to be a single entity, prescribes acts of virtue, and is the same for all men. Likewise, both external and natural law governs the acts of human beings and does not distinguish among behavior or intention.

An understanding of natural law and eternal law allows a person to gain a considerable amount of knowledge pertaining to the non-human laws that surround the behavior and intentions of people. From a personal point of view, these laws are in existent and serve as the explicit dictators of human beings as they interact with one another and as members of the whole. In addition to this, these are the sources of shared norms, values, rules, and regulations that are followed within the society. The knowledge of these laws allow an individual to understand the larger form of control that dictates the human beings as they interact with people in the same sphere and shared society.

In Question 91, it is argued that no law can be considered as eternal based on the absence of someone from eternity whom the law can be imposed upon, the absence of someone from eternity who can be the source of promulgation, and the inapplicability of the end to be considered as eternal. Aquinas answers this and argues that there is indeed an eternal law by further disproving the objections stipulated. First, he mentions that those things are considered to be in existence with God so long as they are preordained by him and the Divine law have the same character as eternal law as long as it is ordained by God. Second, there are written and oral manifestos that exists and characterizes the promulgation of the eternal law. Third, the law actively implies that there is an order related to the end except in cases where it is a coincidental or extrinsic end.

In the next question, the objections argue that there is no natural law among human beings based on the idea that nature does not fit the characteristic of  super fluities  and does not fail in necessaries, action of men based on reason and will, and non-subordination of men to natural law because animals are not. However, Aquinas shows that natural law stems from the participation in eternal law, the act of reason and the will among men is based on nature, and that the irrational creatures are not considered to be a participant of eternal law and that rational creatures remain as part of the eternal law as they engage in an intellectual and rational thinking.

In the next question, objections show that natural law contains several precepts instead of only one. Based on the objections, there are several precepts that lead to the existence of multiple natural laws, there are several parts of human nature that correspond to many natural laws, and that there is only one precept of natural law that is the one that pertains to reason. However, Aquinas argues that there is only one natural law as it flows from one first precept, the parts of the human body with the condition of being ruled by reason are considered to belong to one precept, and all things that remain under the ruling of reason belongs to the law of reason.

In the next question, the objections are not all acts of virtue fall under subjects of natural law, sins are against a virtuous act and it follows that it is against nature, and the characteristics of being virtuous can vary from one person to another. However, Aquinas notes that there are things that are ordained to the natural common good that is similar to being ordained under the moral common good, those sins are against reason and nature and that there are certain special sins that are against nature, and that acts are to be considered in themselves and variations are attributed to the differences among men.

In the last question, the objections are in opposition to the idea that natural law is similar for all men. The objections are based on the idea that natural law is embedded into the Law and the Gospel but all are not in observance of the gospel, there is the presence of change that can alter the things that are just, and that natural law belongs to all that men are inclined to. However, Aquinas mentions that natural law is contained in the Law and the Gospel and that everyone is commanded to comply as he would be treated, the characteristic of just are conclusions that can fail in a few, and that their inclinations are controlled based on reason.

These questions and objections are the sources for the proof that there are eternal and natural laws that dictate human beings. Though it is not ingrained or does not have a formal agency for implementation, it is interesting to learn that there is a particular body of law that can be shared without the formality. In everyday living, the knowledge of these laws and the sources can help as people interact with one another. The understanding of its sources can be used in dictating the people about how they should go about in their everyday lives and in learning about the sources of these rules.

In the end, the arguments presented by Aquinas can be considered as sources for the understanding of natural and eternal law. It is established that these laws are present within the society and dictates how people interact. Though there are others who object to the existence of natural and external law, these arguments are clearly opposed through the propositions of Aquinas. These questions show that both eternal law and natural law exists among human beings. In addition to this, it is also known that natural law exists among human beings, acts of virtue fall under natural law, and that it is similar for all men. Both laws can be used as a determinant for the way people live and act within one another.