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What is Natural Law in Aquinas? An Introduction

Natural law is an idea that Aquinas inherits from ancient Greek and Roman stoicism, for whom the universe exhibited a rational order discernible by reason. However, Aquinas adds that this rational order of the universe is a result of a divine creative act, giving expression to God’s eternal law and providence over creation. According to Aquinas, the natural law for human beings is a participation of human beings as rational creatures in this eternal law of God; in virtue of that participation as rational creatures, human beings are “provident over themselves and others.” The natural law bears upon the fundamental inclinations of being human, inclinations that direct human beings to properly human actions and ends. While God’s creative act provides an ontological explanation for the existence and character of the natural law, epistemic access to the existence of God is not presupposed to our practical knowledge of the natural law, which may be known to all human beings.

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  John O'Callaghan

  University of Notre Dame

  Associate Professor of Philosophy

  John O'Callaghan received his Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Notre Dame. He is a member of the faculty of philosophy at the University of Notre Dame, and directs the Jacques Maritain Center.

Analysis on the Structure and Meaning of Thomas Aquinas' Philosophy of Law

I. Introduction - Methodology 1. Framework - an overview of basic literature, basic concepts, and basic academic sources 2. Theology and philosophy as the metaphysical foundations of Aquinas' philosophy of law and political thought on the State II. Aquinas' Philosophy of Law and Political Thought on the State 1. Framework - from philosophy of theology to philosophy of law 1.1 Natural reason as the foundation of natural law 1.2 Theological and ethical foundations of natural law and political thought on the State 1.3 Philosophy of theology as a metaphysical demonstration of human freedom 1.4 Practical philosophy as a demonstration of natural ethics and positive law 2. Essence of philosophy of law and political thought on the State in the framework of philosophy of theology 2.1 lex aeterna as the source, purpose, and ultimate guarantee of all laws 2.2 lex naturalis as a direct product of natural reason 2.3 lex humana as the law established by humans 2.4 lex divina as the law of the covenant 2.5 Relationship between natural law and divine law in the historical dimension 2.6 Justice and its three forms 2.7 Ethics and political philosophy and political thought on the State III. Conclusion

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  Longfei Xu

  Peking University

  Professor, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies

  2005-present: Professor, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Peking University 2003-2005: Postdoc, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Peking University 1990-2003: Ph.D., University of Bonn, Germany 1987-1989: Teaching Assistant, Institute of History, Beijing Normal University 1980-1987: B.A. and M.A., Department of History and Institute of History, Beijing Normal University

Hierarchies of Goods and Sins According to Aquinas' Natural Law Theory

Aquinas' natural law thought contains a set of basic goodness, such as survival, reproduction, and the pursuit of truth, so is there a hierarchical relationship among these goodnesses? If so, how did Aquinas construct this hierarchical relationship? Similarly, Aquinas differentiated different types of sins, each with a different degree of severity. How is this degree of severity prescribed by Aquinas? Is there an inherent connection between the hierarchy of good and the hierarchy of evil or sin? This lecture attempts to give a preliminary answer to these questions through a close examination of the relevant texts of Aquinas.

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  Lingchang Gui

  Huazhong University of Science and Technology

  Lecturer, School of Philosophy

  Lingchang Gui received his Ph.D. in Philosophy from the Thomas Institut, Department of Philosophy, University of Cologne in Germany in 2020. He is currently a lecturer in the School of Philosophy at Huazhong University of Science and Technology. Gui's research area is on the thought of Thomas Aquinas, with focuses on Aquinas' ethics (especially action theory), natural law theory, and soul theory, on Aquinas' relationship with other medieval philosophers of his time, with Aristotle, and with the Arabic tradition, and on Aquinas' Christian background. Gui's research interests thus also touch on ancient Greek philosophy, medieval Arabic philosophy and religious thought, and other philosophical thought of the Middle Ages.