Natural Law

Natural Law

1. Divine Law

   • bible
   • reflects eternal
   • only seen by those who believe in God

2. Eternal Law

   • principles by which God made
   • reflections
   • partial understanding of laws that govern universe

3. Human Law

   • Leaglisation

4. Natural Moral Law

   • natural order to our world that should be followed
   • determined by supernatural power
   • Ancient Greeks, Aristotle - Thomas Aquinas
   • absolute theory- human nature
   • purpose of reflecting on reasoning
     • nature interpreted by reasoning
   • some flexibility

5. Origins

   • amongst Stoics
     • God is everywhere and in everyone
   • divine spark - helps us line will of God
   • cosmic natural law - obey universe laws or to not
   • eudamonia
   • Thomas Aquinas linked with Aristotle's view that people have specific nature, purpose and function

6. Thomas Aquinas' Natural Law

   • influenced by Aristotle
   • 1. Humans have essential rational nature given by God - live and flourish
     • 2. Even without knowledge of God, reasoning can discover laws that lead to human flourishing
       • Aristotle
       • 3. Natural Laws are universal and unchangeable and should be used to judge laws or particular societies
         • Stoics
     • Aristotle and Stoics