Questions to Guide Your Reading

Question 93:  Of the Eternal Law

1. What is Thomas's definition of the eternal law? (93.1)

2. How can there be only one eternal law when there are many millions upon billions of things that God moves to their proper ends?  Shouldn't there be millions upon billions of eternal laws, or some large number, just as there are many laws of physics, chemistry, biology, geology, and whatnot? (93.1 ad1)

3. Does everyone know the eternal law?  In what way yes, and in what way no? (93.2)

4. Is every law derived from the eternal law?  How about unjust human laws; are they derived from the eternal law?  What about a human law which sanctions murder; would that law be derived from the eternal law?  What about the case in which there is no human law to prohibit you from hating your next-door neighbor, even though it is clearly prohibited by God (e.g., "Love your neighbor as yourself")? (93.3)

5. Are all necessary and eternal things subject to the eternal law (say, for example, the laws of math and physics and the laws of logic)?  Explain.  How about God; is God subject to the eternal law?  (93.4)

6. Are natural contingents subject to the eternal law?  (So, for example, is it the case that God not only controls the "laws of nature," but also whether this or that particular flower dies, or whether this or that particular acorn grows into a big oak tree or not?  Some things seem to happen necessarily – that Jupiter will be at a certain, exact place on Oct 31, 2005 – whereas other things seem to happen contingently ("accidentally") – that this particular cockroach got smushed by my foot at this particular time.  Does God control both?)  Explain.  If this is the case – that both necessary and contingent happenings in the universe come under the direction of God's eternal law – how can rational creatures have free will? (93.5)

7. Continuing with the subject we were discussing above, if both necessary and contingent happenings in the universe come under the direction of God's eternal law, how about human affairs?  Do they come under the direction of God's eternal law?  How?  In what ways?  And to what extent?  How are the good subject to the law?  How about the wicked? Is there a difference?  Explain.  (93.6)