Vital signs of a healthy human being:

Norm is a standard of measurement.

Moral Norms
Standards that indicate the rightfulness or wrongfulness; a value or a disvalue of a thing. Qualities that cannot just be measured by a mechanical device; moral qualities appeal only to reason. Norms of morality are criteria of judgement about the sorts of person we ought to be and the sorts of actions we ought to perform. (Richard Gula)

Moral Norms
Criteria or sets of principles that we use to decide whether an act is good or bad.

Is the act moral or immoral?

If it conforms with the norm, it is moral. If it does not conform with the norm, it is immoral.

conformity and nonconformity

Morality is the quality of actions and things manifesting in their conformity and non-conformity with norms or criteria.

Action and things

norms and criteria

Are there criteria of good behavior or norms we need to conform while being in a busy city street?

Traffic Laws and Regulations

Laws are therefore...

The General Notion of Law

A rule or norm which governs nature and / or actions of things. A constant way of acting and reacting; any directive rule of activity. (Karl Peshke)

 A constant way of acting and reacting; any directive rule of activity. Karl Peshke

 A constant way of acting and reacting; any directive rule of activity. Karl Peshke

Eternal Law is the exemplar of divine wisdom as directing all actions and movements. .St Thomas Aquinas
Eternal Law
Eternal Law is the Divine Reason and Will commanding that the natural order of things be preserved and forbidding that it be disturbed. St. Augustine

The whole universe is governed by divine reason. God is the Prince of the Universe. The plan of government He has in His mind bears the character of a law, and because it is conceived in eternity and not in time, it is rightly called the Eternal Law . (Summa Theologica I-II)

In relation to morality and ethics:

the first norm of morality the ultimate and absolute norm the objective norm The second norm of morality The subjective norm

Eternal Divine Law

Human reason as related to conscience

In relation to morality and ethics:

A law is a rule of conduct which governs, directs, or regulates free acts of human beings.

Moral Law = Those laws which result from the human beings obligation to orient all his activity towards the ultimate goal which is God. Karl Peshke

Kinds of Laws Divine Positive Laws

Laws made known to us by special command of God Explicit demands; directs us towards our proper end; e.g ten commandments

Human Positive Laws

Laws promulgated by legitimate human authority Can be church or state authority e.g. Laws of state (civil, criminal etc); Canon Law Catholic Church

Kinds of Laws Divine and Human Laws can be

Positive requires the performance of an act Negative requires the omission of an act

Divine and Human Laws can be

Moral binds one in conscience, enforced by ones personal conviction Penal binds one by virtue of penalty imposed; enforced by ones fear of being caught or punished

Moral Law and Political Law

Moral Law Political Law

Directs human being towards higher values / development as human being

Universal binding to all human beings Regulates the mind heart and body of the human being

Guides human beings actuations and relations to one another

Depends on societies craft and enforce Mainly regulates the external actions of human beings

Binding upon subjects; an The Classical imposition that necessitates obedience

A command or a emanating Conceptdirective of Law from a legitimate authority; obligation

Law is an ordinance of reason for the common good, promulgated by one who has the care of community.
(St. Thomas Aquinas)

Must be just

Must be honest
Must be possible of fulfilment Must be relatively permanent Must be promulgated Must be directed to the common good

Must be promulgated by one who has the care of the community