Explains Aquinas's theory of natural law Thomas Aquinas was a 13th-century monk who studied the philosophy of Aristotle. From these studies he developed his Natural Law. Natural law is an absolute deontological theory that states that morality is imparted by God to nature. It includes 5 primary precepts that Thomas Aquinas believed were the basis for living a moral life. Natural Law, applied to the case of human beings, requires greater precision because we have reason and free will. It is human nature to act freely (i.e. to be provident for ourselves and others) being inclined towards our own acts and ends. That is, we human beings must exercise our natural reason to discover what is best for us to achieve the goal towards which their nature inclines. Furthermore, we must exercise our freedom by choosing what reason deems to be naturally suitable for us, that is, what is best for our nature. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Aquinas looked specifically at Aristotle's theory of final cause and the prime mover. The final cause is the purpose of everything and the prime mover, that which pushes everything towards its final cause. From this he drew 5 assumptions: Everything in nature has a purpose; God created all nature; failure to develop nature to achieve its purpose is an imperfection; God's moral laws can be known through reasoning; and natural law is part of God's divine plan. To summarize, there are some laws of nature that we should follow to become perfect and achieve our final purpose/cause. The main precepts are as follows: preservation of life, living in an orderly society, worshiping God, education and reproduction. According to Thomas Aquinas, our actions must always conform to these precepts. For example, abortion, suicide, and murder are all wrong because they all fall under the precept of preserving life. While going to church every Sunday is something that Thomas Aquinas thought we should do because it is a secondary precept of the first, worshiping God. Another related concept of Natural Law, however, is that it can be more flexible. It recognizes that all individual situations are different and we must take this into account when making moral judgments. In some situations it is possible to use the doctrine of double effect. An example would be if a pregnant woman had cancer and the only way to save her would be for the doctor to perform a hysterectomy. This would kill the unborn child but save the mother, rather than both dying. Natural law says that it would be acceptable for the doctor to perform the hysterectomy because the act itself is not wrong and the doctor's intentions are not evil. Fetal death is an unintended side effect. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay To conclude, natural law is an absolute deontological theory that states that we should all follow the 5 primary precepts. The acts that follow the primary precepts are secondary precepts. However, in some cases the doctrine of double effect can be used to justify an action that has negative consequences. Works CitedBridges, T. J. (2014). Thomas Aquinas on natural law. Routledge.Cessario, R. J. (2001). The moral philosophy of Saint Thomas Aquinas. Catholic University of America Press.Garcia, J.L.A. (1996). Natural law and practical rationality. Cambridge University Press.Kreeft, P. (2018). Summa of the Summa. Ignatius Press.Lisska, A. J. (1996). Thomas Aquinas' theory of natural law:.