1. How does Augustine contrast the “City of God” and the “Earthly City”? Augustine referred to the love of God as the “City of God”, which contrasts the “Earthly City”, that revolves around the love of self that he calls “amor sui. He believed that humans are defined by what we love, and God and neighbor must be placed above all else. Any lessor focus such as wealth, pleasure, or power is in the contempt of God because love has been directed in the wrong places. This doesn’t mean you cannot love yourself or anything other than God, but you must understand that since God is the ultimate source everything must be attributed to him. The term Augustine uses for this “amor dei” which is formed in true relationships and charitable love. This is
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What do you see as the basis for morality and law making?
I believe that laws should be created for the common good. Morality is taught from religion and tradition, and solidified through each person’s evaluation of their beliefs. Some societies share a strict set of values, which may influence the laws. I generally don’t believe that religion or morality should dictate law making because they are subjective. Laws that serve the common good should not persecute people 's beliefs and that is what I see once religion is involved.
Many wealthy people find legal loopholes to pay less taxes and therefore hold unto their money. This may be considered morally wrong as it creates inequity, but may not necessarily get a person arrested. Oppositely there are laws that may seem ridiculous to people, for example it is illegal to collect rainwater on your own property in several states. Collecting rainwater isn’t a significant issue to most people, but laws are not based on morality. A balance of just laws and common beliefs are necessary for society, and there should be appropriate consequences for doing something illegal vs. frowned …show more content…
What key principles must rulers abide by in this law making? Aquinas believed that rulers must be elected by the people, and be the highest power. They should have have governing powers below them as well, and overall must serve their subjects. To do so, rulers require experience in the numerous economic, social, and political problems that affect society. Each person rules themselves firstly, since the majority of people are not perfect, society will not be perfect. Rulers should consider how each situation arises in order to form a solution, and laws should not be overly strict.
This mixed regime would only create laws that follow five principles. The first is that the law must be ordained for the common good. It also must exist within the scope of power that is authorised to the lawgiver, and should not cause an excessive burden on subjects. The law must be consistent with the rules of subsidiary groups such as a family or community. Lastly it must not violate eternal laws which are unchanging under God. According to Aquinas, if any of these rules are broken the law is unjust and should not be
What do you see as the basis for morality and law making?
I believe that laws should be created for the common good. Morality is taught from religion and tradition, and solidified through each person’s evaluation of their beliefs. Some societies share a strict set of values, which may influence the laws. I generally don’t believe that religion or morality should dictate law making because they are subjective. Laws that serve the common good should not persecute people 's beliefs and that is what I see once religion is involved.
Many wealthy people find legal loopholes to pay less taxes and therefore hold unto their money. This may be considered morally wrong as it creates inequity, but may not necessarily get a person arrested. Oppositely there are laws that may seem ridiculous to people, for example it is illegal to collect rainwater on your own property in several states. Collecting rainwater isn’t a significant issue to most people, but laws are not based on morality. A balance of just laws and common beliefs are necessary for society, and there should be appropriate consequences for doing something illegal vs. frowned …show more content…
What key principles must rulers abide by in this law making? Aquinas believed that rulers must be elected by the people, and be the highest power. They should have have governing powers below them as well, and overall must serve their subjects. To do so, rulers require experience in the numerous economic, social, and political problems that affect society. Each person rules themselves firstly, since the majority of people are not perfect, society will not be perfect. Rulers should consider how each situation arises in order to form a solution, and laws should not be overly strict.
This mixed regime would only create laws that follow five principles. The first is that the law must be ordained for the common good. It also must exist within the scope of power that is authorised to the lawgiver, and should not cause an excessive burden on subjects. The law must be consistent with the rules of subsidiary groups such as a family or community. Lastly it must not violate eternal laws which are unchanging under God. According to Aquinas, if any of these rules are broken the law is unjust and should not be