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Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine - Ethics and Natural Law

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Saint Augustine and Thomas Aquinas saw justification and logic significant to attain a life of goodness and joy, but both of them understood that being flawless (without sin or evil deeds) in this life would be difficult. Thomas Aquinas was the greatest Christian theologian of the Middle Ages. He translates the work of Aristotle to Christian view. He adds spiritual virtues of faith, love and hope in his work (Clark, 2003, p. 46). For him, Natural law important fundamentals teaches on morality and is grasps through reasons and knowing right from wrong. Furthermore, he believes that the Eternal Law of God is not distinguished from God himself but is situated only in the understanding of God. Saint Thomas believes in the five proofs the existence God. His perspective towards morality is relatively close to Aristotle’s (Clark, 2003, p. 47). Thought on justice which leads him to distinguish between distributive justices. It divides the honors, riches, and also the commutative justice which is the rule that economic exchanges under the equal proportion principle. Thomas believes that scriptural dialogue commences with the beliefs God had disclosed regarding God and His actions to create and redeem the world. On Philosophical discourse, it starts with being knowledgeable of the world, and if God is spoke of, what is stated is stipulated by what the world knows. Furthermore, Thomas Aquinas' Argument from Motion started with the empirical observations that motions reflects the becoming inherent in the world around us and that "Whatever is moved is moved by another." Also, he distinguished three types of Laws. The natural law directs and orders the actions of humans towards their aim in every respect (Clark, 2003, p. 48). The States that instituted laws, have to express the natural laws, and as a result cannot be conservative. Lastly, it is one eternal, immutable, and unchangeable law because God is the originator. All actions are ordered by Go

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