Catholic Ethics

God and Virtue NON CHRISTIAN PEOPLE CAN HAVE GOOD MORAL CHARACTER AND PERFORM VIRTUOUS ACTS WITHOUT ANY FAITH IN GOD. BECAUSE OF THE NATURAL LAW RAHNER CALLED THESE PEOPLE “ ANONYMOUS CHRISTIANS. ”

NATURAL LAW 1.THE BELIEF THAT GOD HAS INSTILLED IN HUMANITY A MORAL SENSE THAT WILL GUIDE THEM TO DO GOOD AND AVOID EVIL. 1.Basic human instinct 2.Base for virtue 3.1 Thess. 5:21 2.THROUGH THE OBSERVATION OF NATURE HUMANITY SHOULD BE ABLE TO TELL WHAT IS GOOD VS. WHAT IS EVIL.

Natural Virtues 1.Aristotle and natural virtues (generosity, temperance, fortitude, justice, prudence etc … ) 1.Given to humanity but guided by practical/good reason. 2.Through observation what can be deduced … Natural virtues are only concerned with the earthly existence of the human person and should lead to earthly happiness or achieve an earthly goal. – Ex. Eye see, seeds

THEOLOGICAL VIRTUES Our end is not earthly happiness but eternal happiness that is our communion with God. 1 Corinthians 13:13 – Faith, Hope, and Charity (love) All ordered to God. Allow people to live in relationship with the Holy Spirit.

Aquinas and Aristotle Natural virtues unite us to the divine will. Natural virtues received through the natural law is united to the eternal law, which achieved perfection through the theological virtues.

Theological Virtues 1.GIVEN THROUGH GOD ’ S GRACE AND WILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT IT. 2.THEOLOGICAL VIRTUES PREPARE US FOR DIVINE LIFE

FAITH 1.HEBREWS 11:1 2.BEGINNING OF OUR JOURNEY TO GOD. 3.MAN FREELY COMMITS HIS ENTIRE SELF TO GOD - THROUGH OUR WILL AND INTELLECT WE CHOOSE TO BELIEVE IN GOD.

Faith 1.SURRENDER INTO MYSTERY. 2.FAITH REQUIRES WORKS – OUR FAITH SHOULD MOTIVATE OUR ACTIONS. 3.Beginning of our journey to union with God.

Faith

HOPE 1.FOCUSES OUR MINDS ON HEAVENLY THINGS. 2.WE DESIRE THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN AND ETERNAL LIFE AS OUR HAPPINESS.

Hope 1.KEEPS MAN FROM DISCOURAGEMENT AND SUSTAINS HIM DURING TIMES OF ABANDONEMENT. 2.AFFORDS JOY EVEN UNDER TRIAL. 3.THE PROMISES OF GOD TAKES HOLD OF OUR HEARTS AND MOTIVATES OUR ACTIONS.

Hope

FAITH AND HOPE WORK TOWARDS CHARITY 1.CALLS US INTO RELATIONSHIP 1 COR.2:9 2.LOVE GOD ABOVE ALL THINGS FOR HIS OWN SAKE. LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR AS OURSELVES FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. 3.HOW PEOPLE WOULD RECOGNIZE US AS BELIEVERS – JN. 15:9, 12(THIS IS MY COMMANDMENT THAT YOU LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU)

FAITH AND HOPE WORK TOWARDS CHARITY 1.GREATEST OF THE THREE VIRTUES AND GREATEST GIFT THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT CAN GIVE US. 1 COR.13:13 2.CHARITY PERFECTS OUR HUMAN ABILITY TO LOVE.

FAITH AND HOPE WORK TOWARDS CHARITY 1.CHARITY PURIFIES AND PERFECTS ALL THE OTHER AND NATURAL VIRTUES. 2.GOAL OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE

Charity

Freedom

FREEDOM THE POWER TO ACT OR NOT TO ACT, TO DO THIS OR THAT UNLIKE ANIMALS HUMANS ARE NOT RULED BY APPETITES, HAVE THE POWER TO RISE ABOVE APPETITES.

DETERMINISM ISAAC NEWTON THE IDEA THAT HUMAN ACTIONS ARE DICTATED BY AND CAN BE PREDICTED FROM THE LAWS OF NATURE.

DETERMINISM WHEN LOOKING AT THE NATURAL WORLD HE NOTICED THAT IT RAN LIKE A MACHINE. GOD HAS A MINIMAL ROLE IN SOCIETY.

DETERMINISM THE MOTION OF MOST THINGS WERE DETERMINED BY THE LAWS OF NATURE. MOST THINGS WERE NOT FREE RATHER PUSHED AND PULLED FROM ONE DIRECTION TO ANOTHER.

HUMANITY UNDER DETERMINSIM  HUMANITY IS NOT TRULY FREE BUT CAN BE PREDICTED. WE ARE CAUSE AND EFFECT BEINGS AND BY OBSERVING THE INNER WORKING AND EXTERIOR INFLUENCE YOU CAN PREDICT THE ACTIONS OF THE HUMAN PERSON HUMANITY IS NOT IN CONTROL OF THEIR ACTIONS, WE ARE THE SUM OF OUR EXPERIENCES.

HUMANITY UNDER DETERMINSIM CANNOT BLAME OR PRAISE OTHERS BECAUSE WERE ARE THE SUM OF OUR EXPERIENCES. HUMAN SHORTCOMINGS AND ANNOYANCES ARE NOT THE FAULT OF THE HUMAN PERSON BUT IS A RESULT OF A SOCIETY THAT WAS FORMED BEFORE THE BIRTH OF THAT PERSON.

CONDITIONING HUMAN BEINGS ARE NOT FREE TO ACT AS THEY WANT BUT THEY ARE CONDITIONED TO RESPOND IN A CERTAIN MANNER.

IVAN PAVLOV PAVLOVS DOG  PAVLOV CONCLUDED THAT HE WAS ABLE TO PAIR A NEUTRAL STIMULUS WITH AN EXCITATORY ONE AND HAVE THE NEUTRAL STIMULUS EVENTUALLY ELICIT THE RESPONSE THE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ORIGINAL, UNLEARNED REFLEX. IN CLASSICAL CONDITIONING TERMINOLOGY, AN UNCONDITIONED STIMULUS (US) IS AN EVENT THAT CAUSES A RESPONSE TO OCCUR, WHICH IS REFERRED TO AS THE UNCONDITIONED RESPONSE (UR). AND, IN PAVLOV'S STUDY WITH DOGS, THE FOOD WITHIN THE DOG'S MOUTH IS THE US, AND THE SALIVATION THAT RESULTS IS THE UR. PAVLOV TOOK A STEP FURTHER AND ADDED AN ELEMENT KNOWN AS THE NONEXCITATORY, CONDITIONED STIMULUS (CS), WHICH IS PAIRED WITH THE US.

IVAN PAVLOV CLASSICAL CONDITIONING – A NATURAL REACTION IN A PERSON OR ANIMAL IS ELICITED BY AN UNNATURAL STIMULUS. SOMETHING THAT DOES NOT NORMALLY ELICIT THAT REACTION

B.F. SKINNER CONDITIONING APPLIED TO VOLUNTARY ACTIONS  OPERANT CONDITIONING – VOLUNTARY ACTIONS OF AN ANIMAL OR A HUMAN IS MANIPULATED OR DICTATED BY A SYSTEM OF REWARDS OR PUNISHMENTS.

B.F. Skinner Skinner Box It contains one or more levers which an animal can press, one or more stimulus lights and one or more places in which reinforcers like food can be delivered.

Christianity and Conditioning Culpability can lessen dependant on psychological or social factors. Aristotle – “It makes no small difference, then, whether we form habits of one kind or another from our very youth; it makes a very great difference, or rather all the difference.”

Practical Refutation When arguing a specific point, a persons statement of belief will not be practically lived out. Regardless of what a person says they believe, their action would show that he did not truly believe the position for which he was arguing. – Ex. Tests, God – A person who believes in determinism, would not live it out.

SIN SIN IS A REALITY IN THE HUMAN PERSON – Humans both spiritual and physical SIN IS AN OFFENSE AGAINST GOD SPIRITUAL DEATH, PHYSICAL DEATH