Natural Law Scholars

Natural Law Scholars

1. Thomas Aquinas

   • wrote the Summa Theologica which included the formulation of NML
   • brought theocentric worldview to NL and made it a key part of Roman Catholic Church dogma
   • created by Thomas Aquinas and inspired by Aristotle
     • focuses on the search for 'eudaimonia' and well being by using reason to examine human nature we find our 'telos' - end or goal
   • we have a rational nature - reason discovers the laws that lead to humans flourishing
   • created FOUR Laws
     • eternal law
       • laws known only to God by which he made the universe
     • divine law
       • the Bible, can only be seen by believers and if God choses to reveal it
     • human law
       • rules people and governments make to run society
     • natural law
       • the moral law of God built into human nature - only need reason to see it

2. Cicero

   • "True law is right reason in agreement with nature. It is applied universally and is unchanging and everlasting... one eternal and unchangeable law will be valid for all nations and all times, and there will be one master and rule, that is God."

3. St Paul in the Biblical book of Romans

4. Bernard Hoose on proportionalism

5. Kai Neilson

6. Peter Vardy + Paul Grosch