Download The Basis for Morality and Moral Theology

The Basis for Morality and
Moral Theology
Chapter 1
Pop Quiz
• According to the textbook, what
are at least 2 of the other things
that Catholic moral teaching deals
with besides sexuality and
marriage?
• List the Cardinal virtues.
• List the Theological virtues
Definitions
• Morality: the _______ by which we
______ human actions to be _____
or _______
• Moral Law: _______ norms;
standards of human behavior
_________ by God and ______ by
the Catholic Church
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Definitions
• Objective Morality: Standards of
conduct that are ______ rather
than conditioned by ________ or
personal preference
• Subjective Morality: one that can
_____ from situation to situation
and from one __________ opinion
to another
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Definitions
• Moral relativism: the view that
there is no ______ or universal
moral law or_____, resulting in a
morality determined by cultural
factors or personal preference
• Those who have a _______ morality
are moral relativists
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What is moral law?
• It is law that governs our entire lives
not just sexuality and marriage
• Moral law and teaching reflect
_____law
• Natural Law: objective order established
by God that determines requirements to
reach fulfillment. Innate to human
nature and discernable to our reason.
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What is moral law?
• It is not just rules but leads to
_______
• It puts us in position to achieve
happiness
• We were made to live in communion
with God - this is where we find
happiness
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What is moral law?
• Moral law is based on love of _____
and love of _____
• Not just about living by the
“checklist” of morals but that we
have the _____ of the moral law
• Difference between following the
_____ and living the _____
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Ethic vs. Ethos
• Ethic refers to the norm or law
• The 10 Commandments express the
Ethic
• E.g. “Thou Shall not Kill”
• If you follow the law because it’s the
law you are following the Ethic
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Ethic vs. Ethos
• Ethos refers to the ______ desire of
the ______; what ______ and
repulses you
• E.g. having no desire to kill
• Calls us to _____ our heart, not just
_____ the law
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Characteristics
of Moral Law
1. Moral law is a ______
of our faith
•
•
As Christians we are
required to follow the
moral law
It is essential to live
out holiness
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Characteristics
of the Moral Law
2. Moral law is ______ by the virtues
•
•
•
At baptism we receive virtues to
help us live the law
Counteract the effects of Original Sin
Must be ______ by human effort by
repeating virtuous actions
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Cont.
• Cardinal Virtues:
• ______: to choose the right course of
action inspired by the moral law
• ______: to render what is due to God
and neighbor
• ______: to perform good actions amid
obstacles and difficulties
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Cont.
• _____: to control our passions in
order to maintain a clear mind and
a strong will
• These virtues _______the effects of
Original Sin
• These virtues must be _____ to
draw us closer to God
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Cont.
• Theological virtues:
• _____: enables us to ______ the truths _____
by Christ and transmitted by the Church
• _____: assists us in ______ that God will give
us the means to ________ and holiness
• _____: enables us to ______ God and others
with the love of Christ.
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Characteristics
of the Moral Law
3. Moral law is based on Divine
Wisdom of God.
•
•
•
Moral law reflects the dignity and
equality among all persons
Natural law reflects this
God revealed the 10 commandments
to express that natural law.
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Aristotle and Happiness
• How does a person achieve
happiness?
• To determine we must ask, “What
makes humans _______ from other
things?”
• _________ - (Intellect and Will)
• Our purpose is found in what makes us
___________
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Aristotle vocab
• Telos (τέλοϛ) - end; _________;
function
• Our telos as humans is _______ or to
use correctly our intellect and will
• Eudaimonia (εὐδαιμονία) fulfillment or happiness
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Aristotle and Happiness
• A thing achieves εὐδαιμονία or
fulfillment/happiness when it performs
with excellence according to its telos
• According to Aristotle, the telos of a human
being is to reason or choose with excellence.
• Happiness is achieved with right moral
choices
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Morality and Free Will
• Because of original sin our
ability to reason well has been
damaged
• We now suffer concupiscence tendency toward sin b/c of
Original sin.
• We have clouded mind, weakened
will and disordered passions
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Morality and Free Will
• Free will is our potential or
capacity to choose the good
• To fulfill our function we must use
our Free will to choose good
• In as much as you choose good, you
are experiencing freedom
• Evil choices destroy freedom
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Sin diminishes freedom
• Evil choices are contrary to
reason and therefore diminish
our freedom
• It also further clouds our ability
to reason and choose the good
• Weakened ability to choose good
represents a restriction in our
freedom
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Grace
• In order to aid the soul in choosing
good God supplies us with Grace
• Grace: the divine life of God in the soul
that is freely given to us by God
• We cannot deserve or earn it
• Two Kinds of Grace:
• Sanctifying Grace and Actual Grace
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Grace
• Sanctifying Grace: a
grace given to us through
the sacrament that gives
new life to our souls
• It is given in Baptism,
nourished by Eucharist and
restored in Reconciliation
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Grace
• Actual Grace: a temporary
grace given by God given to
obtain, preserve and grow
in holiness
• Gives us knowledge and
strength to do the good
• We can choose to ignore or
refuse the grace and act
contrary to it.
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Our Actions
• Aristotle: “you are what you
repeatedly do”
• What we choose to do expresses our
moral dispositions
• Our actions reflect the soul
• Interiorly our passions, thoughts and
words also begin to reflect our
choices and reflect the interior
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Moral life
• The moral law shows us what a
person who loves God ought to do
• Commandments are the minimum
threshold for morality
• Jesus’ moral teaching focuses
mostly on what we must do
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Moral Life
• Humans are a composite of body
and soul
• Therefore, moral law reflects laws
that effect both
• Sacraments help to build up the soul
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Man in society
• Man is by nature a social being
• The moral law also calls us to
safeguard human dignity for all
• It also calls us to serve and love one
another
• Social morality seeks to distract from
the tendency to focus on ourselves
only
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Sources of Moral Theology
• Draws from Divine
Revelation also known as
the Deposit of Faith
• Scripture, Tradition,
interpreted by the
Magisterium
• Natural Law
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Sources of Moral Theology
• Sacred Scripture
• Both Old and New Testament are used
in moral law
• New Testament is used more because:
• Some OT laws were temporary
• Jesus was the fulfillment of the OT and
therefore, brings the fullness of the law
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Sources of Moral Theology
• Scripture cont…
• Christ’s life provides
examples of how a
believer should live the
moral life
• Jesus’ teaching,
preaching and precepts
give us the “moral rule”
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Sources of Moral Theology
• Tradition:
• This is the living transmission of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ
• Transmitted both orally and in writing
• The Church passes on her doctrine,
life and worship.
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Sources of Moral Theology
• Magisterium:
• The pope and the bishops united with
him teaching the faithful in matters of
faith and morals
• The pope can define truths of the Faith
and of Morals
• These teachings are infallible (without
error)
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Sources of Moral Theology
• Natural Law:
• The basic moral principles that are engraved
in our hearts
• Linked to the basic dignity of the human
person
• Natural Science:
• Also aids in morality but only to enhance or
elaborate on moral doctrine
• It can only supplement moral theology
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