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Law
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Topic:

Master Principles of St. Thomas Aquinas:Natural & Theological Virtues

Essay Instructions:

You are to select one question from Part 1 and answer the first question from Part 2 of the following questions . Times New Roman font preferred, 12 pt. You will receive up to 5 bonus points if you answer the second question in PART 2.
In responding to these questions, you are to apply the principles we have discussed throughout the course. Credit is given for correct use of the legal and philosophical terms we have studied. Be concise and be sure to substantiate your position with logical arguments that apply directly to the question at hand. Good luck; remain calm and trust your knowledge.
QUESTION 1
St. Thomas Aquinas asked, “Do we make law or discover law?” When we act for the common good – act from inside – the “Eternal Law” is received and understood from within and observed only conditionally: “When humans correctly understand desire, and act for the good of human nature (food, drink, clothing, shelter, creative activity, knowledge, friendship, etc.) they are freely enacting observance to the Eternal Law. They are not making law for themselves – they are discovering it and approaching it for themselves.”
Aquinas drew a distinction between Natural Virtues and Theological Virtues. Because ethics apply universally and cannot be changed or modified by law, how do we apply them to business?
The question for you to discuss, is how, as the Chief Executive Officer of a company, would you apply these principles and virtues to your business model? Be specific in your discussion addressing business goals and policies such as profit, employee relations (pay, benefits, family leave) and duty to shareholders, suppliers and consumers.
QUESTION 2
Immanuel Kant developed the Categorical Imperative Theory; one cannot use others in a way that results in a one-sided benefit. “When we do something because it is our moral duty, we are motivated by the thought that, insofar as we are rational beings, we must act only as this fundamental law of (practical) reason prescribes, a law that would prescribe how any rational being in our circumstances should act. Whatever else such a law might be, it is, in virtue of being a principle of reason, true of all rational agents.”
Discuss one of the following:
As the Chief Executive Officer of a company, how would you apply these principles and virtues to your business model? Be specific in your discussion addressing business goals and policies such as profit, employee relations (pay, benefits, family leave) and duty to shareholders, suppliers and consumers.
OR
What is the difference between being motivated by a sense of duty in the ordinary sense and being motivated by duty as Kant defines duty? Be specific in your discussion addressing business goals and policies such as profit, employee relations (pay, benefits, family leave) and duty to shareholders, suppliers and consumers.

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Part 1
The master principle of St. Thomas Aquinas is that people should focus on doing good or pursuing greatness, while people should avoid evil/bad. Believing in this code forms the base for all the extended moral and ethical principles. Without this, the other moral and ethical rules have no meaning. As stated, Thomas distinguished natural and theological virtues by proposing the cardinal virtues such as;
1. Prudence – Being reasonable, doing good, and morally sound.
2. Temperance – Moderation of desires towards physical pleasures.
3. Courage – Ability to restrain fear to act right.
4. Justice – Ability to provide others what is rightfully theirs.
But as a CEO of a company, one should not restrict himself to a particular theology as the company will have a mix of employees, stakeholders, shareholders, vendors, and consumers from different theological backgrounds. In this case, as a CEO, one can apply the ethical and moral principles of St. Thomas Aquinas in the organization but cannot stick to his theological principles and above mentioned cardinal virtues as they may not correlate with everyone’s theological understanding. For example, according to Aquinas, temperance, one of the cardinal virtues, restricts one from smoking weeds. At the same time, in a religious movement called Rastafari (formed by Bob Marley), such an act is deemed divine.
A company’s CEO is not only responsible for its revenue generation but also its goals like profit, employee relations, and liability to shareholders, suppliers, and customers. However, what matters most is how a CEO achieves all these goals. The achievement of a CEO demonstrates the ethical and moral values of the company. The table below provides the specific definitions of ethical standards for all stakeholders.
Goals

Expectations from CEO

Standards to Maintain

Profit

The basis of a company’s health is its profit generation because it is the primary expectation

Establishing an ethics committee to monitor the business process and timely auditing, thus ensuring that the generated profit margins are actual.

Employee Relations

Heal...
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