Natural Law Theory
Law’s characteristic authority is understood through practical reason and the common good.
What it claims
Natural law theory connects the normative character of law with practical reason and the common good. Aquinas defines law as an ordinance of reason for the common good, promulgated by one responsible for the community. The formula “an unjust law is not a law” requires interpretation: Finnis does not simply deny every formal legal status to unjust rules, but treats them as defective instances lacking the characteristic moral authority of central cases.
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Key thinkers
Thomas Aquinas · John Finnis · Lon L. Fuller · Robert P. George · Cicero