St. Thomas Aquinas the Human Law and Natural Law Debate

The Human Law and Natural Law Debate Heather Saunders 250583261 Thomistic Philosophy 2214 Dr. Fox March 21, 2012 The Human Law and Natural Law Debate Are we naturally moral creatures? Do we always act towards the common good of others? I am positive that we do not, and in fact, as much as society wants to, we go against our morals and lead with our ‘feelings’. These feelings may feel right, but it doesn’t mean they will lead you in the right path to fulfil your ultimate end, true happiness. Hitler was a passionate man driven by feelings, but what he felt and did during the World War Two era was not for the sake of the common good, and was not morally right. In today’s society we often struggle between what is legally right and what is†¦show more content†¦In an example of Canadian Law that contradicts natural law of self-preservation is Section 43 of the Criminal Code of Canada, otherwise known as the spanking law. It states that â€Å"every schoolteacher, parent or person standing in the place of a parent is justified in using force by way of correction toward a pupil or child, as the case may be, who is under his care, if the force does not exceed what is reasonable under the circumstances. [R.S. c.C-34, s.43.]† (Barnett, 2008). This law does not define reasonable force, it does however exclude those under 2 and over 12. This means parents and teachers are allowed to physically punish their child and use this as a legal defence in court. Since there is no definition of reasonable force, it can cover extreme violence, such as beating using objects like hands, feet, wooden boards, rulers, electrical cords, etc. There have been cases in which the child was severely abused and the parent did not get charged and had their parental rights reinstated because of Section 43. This Canadian law that is still enforced today, is the exact opposite of acting towards the common good. It not only contradicts natural law, but it is morally wrong. The reasoning of this law is that some people to this day view children as lesser, incapable human becomings as opposed to com petent social actors in their own lives. This in itself is a fictitious beliefShow MoreRelatedThe Five Ways By St. Thomas Aquinas996 Words   |  4 PagesFor centuries The Five Ways, drawn from St. Thomas Aquinas’s Summa Theologica have been studied, scrutinized, and at the epicenter of heated debate. When St. Thomas wrote this section of his ground breaking essay what he ultimately was claiming, was that through philosophy and observation, there is a way to see how the natural world points to there in fact being a God. Although to some it may seem absurd, modern day science based upon observation and experimentation, does not completely discreditRead MoreThe Doctrine Of Natural Law1203 Words   |  5 PagesSt. Paul opens what many hold to be his magnum opus with an apologetic. 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