The 60-Second Aquinas
Lesson
Natural Law in the Supermarket
Aquinas Lesson for June 23, 1998
Natural Law can be demonstrated in the express lane of your favorite grocery store. Picture this:
You are standing in line with 10 items in a basket, and you plan to pay with a check. A woman steps behind you. She is holding a gallon of milk and three dollar bills in one hand and a crying baby in the other. What do you do?
The rules of the grocery store, which are part of the Human Law (one of Aquinas’ four types of law), dictate that you do not have to do anything. But, don’t you feel some inclination to let the woman go ahead of you? That’s your conscience talking! And it adheres to a higher law. The conscience is ruled by a greater sense of right and wrong than can be found in written law. Aquinas called that Natural Law.
Think of it this way, it’s natural to let that woman go first.
Explanation of The 60-Second Aquinas Lesson
