The document explores the concept of morality, defining norms that govern human actions and detailing the types and sources of law, including eternal divine law, natural law, and human positive law. It emphasizes the role of conscience as a crucial guide for moral judgment, outlining different types of consciences and their implications for decision-making. Additionally, it underscores the prioritization of divine law over civil authority in instances of conflict.

1. NORMS OF MORALITY
Norm
Somethingbywhichanact or conductis measured
as goodor bad,rightor wrong,moral or immoral;
rule or standard;criteriafor judgement
Norm of Morality
The standard of right andwrong inhumanactions
 Types of norm:
o Eternal Divine Law (objective)
The ultimate andabsolute normof
morality;independentof anystandard
o Human Reason(subjective)
As relatedtothe person’sconscience
Law as the objectnorm of morality
 General Notionof Law
Law isa norm whichgovernsnature andactions
of things
o Law of Nature
Principlesthatgovernsthe natural
phenomenaof the world
(e.g.biologicalsystemof humans)
o Natural Law
Referstothe free acts of rational beings
 Moral Law Defined
o Law isan ordinance of reasonfor the
commongood,promulgatedbyone who
has the care of the community.
o Law isa kindof impositionwhich
necessitiesobedience onthe partof the
subjects.
o Essential Elementsfor a Law to be
Reasonable:
i. It must be just
Promote andupholdthe inherent
rightsand dignityof everyhuman
person
ii. It must be honest
Shouldnotcontradictin essence to
any higherlaw
iii. It must be possible offulfillment
(practical)
iv. It must be relativelypermanent
v. It must be promulgated(publicize)
vi. It must be directedto common good
vii. It must be promulgatedby one who
has the care of the community
(e.g.president)
 Divisionsof Law
o Eternal Law
It ispromulgatedtocreaturesbyGod being
embeddedintheirnature.
i. Eternal law iseternal (endless) and
unchangeable
ii. Eternal law isabsolutelyuniversal
o The Natural Moral Law (Law of Conscience)
It isthe eternal law itselfwhichman
understandsthroughthe lightof hisnatural
reason(conscience).
i. Attributesof the Natural Law
 Obligatory
 Universal
 Has its propersanctions
 Knowable or recognizable
 Unchangeable
ii. The Contentsof Natural Law
 Formal norms
Those that relate toour character
to whatkindof personswe ought
to be
 Material norms
Oughtto be done
 OutlinesofNatural law:
 Fundamental principlesin
theirgeneral applications
 General moral principles
whichsustainandpreserve
the basic relationsof manto
God, to himself andto
neighbors
 Applicationsof the general
principlesof moralityto
specificsituationsinlifeand
society
 Remote conclusionsderived
by a process of reasoning
o Human Positive Law and the Moral Law
Human positive lawis derivedfromthe
natural law and promulgatedforthe
commongood bya humanagencywhich
has a charge of a society,particularlyof a
sovereignone; juridical orderofthe society
(e.g.law of the state or civil law;lawof the
church or ecclesiastical law)

2. Law as the subjectnorm of morality
 Meaningof Conscience
o ‘Cum’ (together) and ‘Scientia’(toknow)
o Secondnormof morality
o An innerfeelingorvoice viewedasactingas
a guide to the rightness orwrongnessof
one'sbehavior
 Conscience as an Act ofIntellect
(JudgementofReason)
o An act of practical judgementof reason
decidinguponanindividual actionasgood
and to be performedoras evil andto be
avoided
o Conscience canonlybe appliedtointellect
o Onlythe intellectcandetectthe rightness
or wrongnessof ouractions
 Conscience as a Practical Moral Judgement
o Dealsitself withthe moral qualityof a
person’sconcrete act,dictatingthe person
to performwhatisgood and to refrainfrom
doingwhatis bador evil
o Extensionof the natural lawwhichguides
man
 Conscience as the Proximate Norm ofMorality
o Allowsapersontohave a directand
personal accessinhisconscience
o Must conformto a highernorm(eternal
divine law)
 Kinds ofConscience
Accordingto the conscience’s:
o Harmony or disharmony with objective
truth
i. Correct or True Conscience
Judgesthe goodas good andevil as
evil
ii. Erroneous of False conscience
Mistakesthe goodas bad and whatis
bad isgood
 Invinciblyerroneousconscience
Kindof judgementwhere the error
couldnot have beenavoided
 Vinciblyerroneousconscience
Kindof judgement where the error
couldhave beenavoided if the
personexerteddiligenceonhis
part
 Perplexedconscience
Whenfacedwithtwoalternative
options,fearsthatsinispresentin
bothchoices
 Pharisaical conscience
Imaginesgrave sinsassmall ones
and magnifieslittleoffensesas
serious
o Firmnessin itsjudgementof the morality
of the act
i. CertainConscience
Sure whethersomethingisgoodor
bad,right or wrong,moral or immoral
ii. Doubtful Conscience
Unsure whethersomethingisgoodor
bad,right or wrong,moral or immoral
iii. ScrupulousConscience
Verycautiousor extremelyfearful to
the extentthatthe personrefuses to
act
iv. Lax Conscience
Takeswhat iswrongor sinful very
lightly,evenconsideringitas
somethinggoodandokay
 PrinciplesGoverningConscience
o A certain conscience mustalwaysbe
obeyed,whateveritcommandsorforbids
o The invinciblyerroneousconscience must
be followed
o The vinciblyerroneousconscience cannot
be followedaslegitimaterule of action
o A personwhoisof lax conscience hasthe
general andgrave obligationto reformthis
state of mind
o The personwith a perplexedtype of
conscience,whenmakingchoiceshasto
‘postpone any action’
o If a person hasa doubtful conscience,one
may neveract
 Conscience vs.Civil Authority
Wheneverthere isaconflictbetweencivil
authority(state law) anddivine law(natural
moral law), the person has to obey God rather
than men