Chapter 9 — The Norms of Morality
• The norms of morality are the criteria for judging about the sorts of persons we ought to be and
the sorts of actions we ought to perform
• The moral norms are the criteria for judging the quality of character, to what sort of person one
ought to become, and the quality of the acts to what sort of action one ought to be done
• Hence, the quality of character takes precedence over the quality of actions, because actions are
only the product of one's character. Thus, the kind of person we are, determines the kind of
actions we do. This means action reflects character. (The synchrony of your character and action)
Basic of Moral Judgement
• Moral judgment is based in the norms of morality, namely; the eternal law, natural law, and
reason (conscience)
o Eternal law: ultimate norm of morality
o Natural law: remote norm of morality
o Conscience (reason): proximate norm of morality
A. The Eternal Law
• Eternal Law is the divine wisdom directing all actions and movements of all created beings. This
concept of an eternal law is inferred from the order and harmony in the created universe.
• The ancient Greeks referred to the universe as “cosmos” and spoke of “cosmic order”.
o Thus, the term natural order refers to the harmony present in the material universe.
• In the natural order, every creature acts and reacts according to the demands of their nature.
B. The Natural Law
Natural Law — refers to the operational tendencies of human nature.
• This means the chemical, biological, physiological, and rational properties of man as an
organism.
According to St. Thomas Aquinas, natural law is the rational participation of the created beings to the
eternal law and provides the possibilities and potentialities
Therefore, natural law is the tendency of human nature towards growth and self-fulfillment.
• Thus, anything contributing to the actualization of man’s potential is morally good; and anything
that contradicts the self-realization of human beings as a person is morally evil. The morally good
acts contributes to the integration of person, while the morally evil acts causes its disintegration
Characteristics of Natural Law
• It is universal — because it is human nature which is shared by all men, though realized
differently according to their respective cultures
• It is obligatory — because the tendencies if our human nature are the laws of our desires and
actuations which we cannot ignore without dire consequences
• It is recognizable — because man being self-reflexive, is aware of his nature, of what he is and
he is capable of and what is expected to him by his kind
• It is immutable and unchangeable — because although change is a rule of life, human nature in
its essentiality and sustainability remains permanent and unchangeable.
C. Conscience (reason)
• While natural law is the tendency towards good in general, conscience is the choice of a
particular good in a given situation. People refer to conscience as “the voice of God”, a whisper
of admonition.
• Conscience is the practical judgment of reason telling a person what he/she ought to be done,
because it is good, or what should be avoided because it’s evil. The judgment is practical,
because it leads to a course of action.
• Conscience is the “judgment of reason” because it derives from a person’s understanding of
what ought to be done as good and what ought to be avoided as evil. This is how actions are said
to be under the dictate of reason.
• Moral decisions may sometimes require serious study and deliberation, but the urging of
conscience is often spontaneous and instantaneous. Thus, conscience is considered as the “voice
of God”
✓ Conscience has two functions:
1. Before the commission of an act, conscience directs towards what is good.
2. After the commission of an act, conscience either approved or reproved the act.
• Reproaching conscience: punishes the doer with remorse (guilt/shame)
• Approving conscience: rewards the doer with peace of mind
