claims that in extreme circumstances, respect for individual rights can be overridden to
promote the better welfare especially in circumstances of conflict valuation.
TEMPLATE 3: Module Template
(Will be used individually during the self-paced write shop)
Module No. & Title Module 3: Natural Law
Module Overview Hi there, how are you today?
In this module you will recognize how Thomas Aquinas
made us of ancient Greek concepts to provide a rational
grounding to an ethical theory based on the Christian faith. You
will be able to identify the natural law in distinction from, but
also in relation to, the other types of law mentioned by Aquinas:
eternal law, human law, and divine law. Also, apply the
precepts of the natural law to contemporary moral concerns.
Module At the end of this module, you are expected:
Objectives/Outcomes 1. Recognize how Thomas Aquinas made us of ancient
Greek concepts to provide a rational grounding to an
ethical theory based on the Christian faith
2. Identify the natural law in distinction from, but also in
relation to, the other types of law mentioned by
Aquinas: eternal law, human law, and divine law.
3. Apply the precepts of the natural law to contemporary
moral concerns.
Lessons in the This module will tackle the following topics:
module Lesson 1: Thomas Aquinas
Lesson 2: The Greek Heritage
Lesson 3: The Essence and Varieties of Law
TEMPLATE 4: The Lesson Structure
(Will be used individually during the self-paced write shop)
Module No. and Module 3 – Natural Law
Title
Lesson No. and Title Lesson 1 – Thomas Aquinas
Learning Outcomes 1. Recognize how Thomas Aquinas made us of ancient
Greek concepts to provide a rational grounding to an
ethical theory based on the Christian faith
Time Frame 1 week
Introduction Welcome, how are you feeling? Are you excited to
have our lesson for today? If you are then, relax and enjoy.
Can anyone give a recap of what we have discussed on the
last topic?
In October 2016 , newspapers reported that
Pantaleon Alvarez, speaker of the house of representatives
, was intending to draft a bill which would amend the
country’s family code , thereby allowing for the legalization
of same-sex unions . This would result in the possibility of
two men together or two women together being identified as
a couple with rights guaranteed & and protected by the law.
However , as one news paper report revealed , even before
anything could be formally proposed , other fellow legislators
had already expressed to the media their refusal to support
any such initiative .
The reasons given in the news article very , ranging
from the opinion that seeing two men kiss is unsightly, to the
statement that there is something “irregular” about belonging
to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT)
community, end to the judgment that two people of the same
sex being together is unnatural.
We are used to hearing people justify doing
something by making the appeal that what they maintain is
what is “natural,” and therefore acceptable. Likewise ,
people would judge something as unacceptable on the basis
that is supposedly “unnatural”. Thus, we are no longer
surprised when we hear people condemn and label many
different things as “unnatural”: Maybe receiving blood
transfusions , eating meat , or , as our news report shows ,
engaging and sexual relations that one might consider
deviant. We also realized that sometimes we might find
ourselves astonished or perplexed as to what different
people might consider “unnatural.”
In order to proceed , it is therefore necessary to ask:
“What do the words natural and unnatural mean?”
Sometimes, the word “natural” seems to be used to refer to
some kind of intuition that a person has , one which is so
apparently true to him that is unquestioned. For example , a
woman may claim that it is simply “ unnatural” to eat any
kind of insect, and what this means is that she personally
finds herself averse to the idea of doing so. In other
instances , the word is used to try to justify a certain way of
behaving by seeing its likeness somewhere in the natural
world. For example, a man my claim that it is ok for him to
have more than one sexual partner, since, in a pride of lions,
the alpha male gets to mate with all the she-lions. in yet
other instances , the word “natural” is used as an appeal to
something instinctual without it being directed by reason.
For example, a man may deem it all right if he were to
urinate just anywhere because after all he sees it as “
natural” function of humans. Lastly, we also easily find
people using the word “natural” to refer to what seems
common to them given their particular environment. For
instance, a Filipina may suppose that eating three full meals
of rice and ulam every day is what is “natural” because
everyone she knows behaves in that way.
Given these varied meanings of the term natural , we
need to find a more solid and nuanced way to understand
the term. In this chapter , we will explore how Thomas
Aquinas provides this , emphasizing the capacity for reason
as what is essential in our human nature. This understanding
of human nature anchored on our capacity for reason will
become the basis of natural law theory , a theory which will
provide us a unique way of determining the moral status of
our actions .
Please watch this movie clip
- [Link]
Activity
1. Interview a Gay or a Lesbian and ask them there
point of view with regards to same sex marriage. List
down the pros and cons of their statements.
2. List down Famous Celebrity Same-Sex Couples
Who Have Tied the Knot. How are they now? How
are their lives after the marriage?
Analysis
Philippines: Supreme Court Rules on Same-Sex
Marriage
- [Link]
news/article/philippines-supreme-court-rules-on-
same-sex-marriage/
- [Link]
sex-marriage-in-the-philippines-a2292-20200107
(Jan. 24, 2020) On January 6, 2020, the Philippines’
Supreme Court announced it had dismissed a motion to
reconsider its September 2019 ruling denying a petition to
approve same-sex marriage in the country, effectively
concluding this case “with finality.”
The petition had essentially requested that the Court
declare unconstitutional on equality grounds certain
provisions of the Philippine Family Code that define marriage
as a union between a man and a woman.
The Court indicated in its ruling that the petitioner’s
request was too limited in scope, as there are a wide variety
of other statutes besides the Family Code that similarly treat
marriage as a heterosexual institution. Thus, it stated that the
petitioner should have made a direct argument against those
other statutes as well, which he failed to do.
In the absence of such arguments, the Court stated
that granting the petitioner’s request would cause the Court
to arrogate to itself quasi-legislative powers, as this would be
necessary in order to amend all the statutes that inevitably
would have to be changed to accommodate his petition. The
Court thus explained that such a task should be done by the
Philippine Congress through the pertinent legislative
process.
In addition, the Court stated that petitioner had failed
to demonstrate that he was directly affected by the
provisions he deemed unconstitutional, as he did not request
(and thus was not denied) a license to enter into a same-sex
marriage, and consequently could not establish the proper
standing to file his lawsuit.
Furthermore, the Court indicated that petitioner had
failed to abide by the principle known as the “hierarchy of
courts,” according to which he should have filed his case in
a trial court (which he did not do), where factual and
evidentiary matters are properly processed. Instead, the
petitioner filed his lawsuit directly in the Supreme Court,
which, being the Philippines’ highest court, may not
appropriately process and discharge those procedural
matters.
In its decision announced in January 2020, the Court
stated that “no substantial arguments were presented to
warrant the reversal of the questioned decision,” and thus,
“no further pleadings or motions will be entertained” on this
matter.
A Rundown on the History of Same-Sex Marriage in
the Philippines
Abstraction
- ([Link]
A full consideration of Aquinas’s ethics would require
us to explore his discussion of other matters, such as how,
in our pursuit of happiness, we direct our actions toward
specific ends. We might explore the following:
Good or Bad
Habits
Actions
Emotions
- [Link]
- [Link]
We are called to heed the voice of conscience and
enjoin to develop and maintain a life of virtue.
Application Journal
I. Go online and look for an instance of what might be
“fake news.” See whether you are able to determine
the veracity of the news report. Detail your findings and
opinion below.
II. In view of Aquinas’s assertion that reason is what
makes us uniquely human and that being reasonable
opens up both an epistemic concern for truth and also
a social concern of being in relation with others,
provide an assessment on the value or disvalue of
post-truth phenomena such as fake news or alternative
facts.
III. Consider other topics within the realm of media ethics.
Select one and give an initial presentation of the
significance of discussing this topic.
Closure
What have you learned today?
Choose two questions from the list and write the answer to
your journal.
Daily Dozen
1.) The thing that made the most sense to me today was…
2.) One thing that I just don’t understand is…
3.) When someone asks me what I did in Ethics today, I can
say…