MORAL LAW

1
MORAL LAW

• kinds of law
• natural moral law
• intrinsic evil
• Commandments Beatitudes

2
Behavioral laws

• criminal law
• concern culpability (cause/agency)
• question is did I do that?
• constitutional law
• concern rights (cultural views)
• question is may I do that?
• moral law
• concern virtuous living (decisions)
• question is should I do that?

3
Natural Moral Law

• self-evident, foundational propositions
• e.g., living things are meant to live, not be
  killed
• reasonable basis
• gt beliefs (religious precepts)
• gt conventions (socio-political practices)
• absolutist gt relativist
• are universal
• are immutable

4
Intrinsic Evil

• that which is, in and of itself, incapable of
  being ordered to what is good
• whatever is hostile to life (e.g., genocide)
• whatever violates the integrity of a person
  (e.g., torture)
• whatever is offensive to human dignity (e.g.,
  slave-trade)

5
Biblical Principles

• COMMANDMENTS
• thou shalt not ...
• apodictic vs. casuistic law
• beneficial for social maintenance

• BEATITUDES
• blessed are the ...
• guides toward perfection
• based on the law of the gift