The Basis for Morality and Moral Theology

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The Basis for Morality and Moral Theology

• Chapter 1

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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

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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 its 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

• 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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Characteristicsof the Moral Law

• 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 (t????) - end _________ function
• Our telos as humans is _______ or to use
  correctly our intellect and will
• Eudaimonia (e?da?µ???a) - fulfillment or happiness

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Aristotle and Happiness

• A thing achieves e?da?µ???a or fulfillment/happine
  ss 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
• Christs 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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