Summary
Highlights
Natural law, as defined by Russ Shaffer Landau, asserts that good human beings fulfill their true nature, while bad ones do not. This concept is crucial for understanding deep conscience and the Western idea of human rights.
Natural law discerns right from wrong by understanding a thing's purpose or 'telos'. Just as a good heart efficiently pumps blood, and a good kidney filters blood, living organisms are considered good when they fulfill their natural functions. This objective theory suggests we discover, rather than invent, what is good, similar to an acorn's natural purpose of becoming an oak tree.
Natural law does not mean doing whatever feels natural in the modern sense. Instead, it refers to the fully developed, idealized human, one who has cultivated reason, emotions, body, and spirit. It's about becoming the 'oak tree within,' rather than succumbing to transitory desires. This perspective clarifies why actions like rape, even if perceived as 'natural' by some, are not aligned with a fully developed human nature.
Natural law theorists, like Aquinas, believe humans have innate purposes: to preserve life, avoid harm, seek truth, nurture social ties, engage in benign behavior, and raise the young. These are considered universal truths, as all humans share a body, reason, and a need to discipline desires for flourishing. Developing all aspects of one's nature leads to recognizing foundational goods like life, health, knowledge, friendship, and spiritual experience.
Natural law offers a solution to the lack of meaning, which Victor Frankl identifies as a source of unhappiness. It emphasizes that humans have infinite value and a deep purpose beyond fleeting desires, guiding them through their conscience. Furthermore, natural law forms the foundation of political rights and liberties, establishing a higher law by which governments can be judged.
The argument that psychopaths disprove natural law is addressed by likening moral deficiency to mathematical deficiency. Psychopaths may lack remorse, but studies suggest they still possess a conscience, demonstrating a distinction between knowing right from wrong and feeling empathy. Natural law posits that immoral acts are not justified by individual deficiencies.
Moral natural law differs from scientific laws like gravity because humans have a choice to obey it, unlike rocks. It describes what 'should be' rather than merely describing what 'is.' It involves conscious choice and prescriptions, contrasting with the determinism of scientific descriptions.
Some natural law theories propose that the purposes of sex are reproduction, union, and pleasure. If a sexual act doesn't align with these, it's not considered morally good in the fullest sense. While acknowledging that homosexuality may be natural in a modern sense, a natural law perspective might argue it deviates from the highest nature of fully developed humans, which integrates reason, emotion, and body. This approach questions modern sexual freedoms and their potential impact on meaning and genuine self-fulfillment.
Natural law theorists deny that people have fundamentally different moralities, asserting that foundational moral claims are universal. Even those who commit atrocities often rationalize their actions, demonstrating an underlying awareness of a universal moral law. This higher law, rooted in nature or a divine source, is the basis for human rights, providing a standard to judge governments and preventing rights from being mere fictions or power struggles.
Natural law faces criticisms like the naturalistic fallacy (deriving 'ought' from 'is') and challenges from evolutionary theory which suggests nature lacks purpose. Religious critiques question basing morality on human nature if it's considered fallen due to original sin. However, some religious replies suggest a 'higher nature' or implanted conscience guides individuals. Ultimately, natural law has been influential in inspiring social change (e.g., Martin Luther King Jr.) and emphasizing individual purpose, offering a framework for developing one's whole self, often with transcendent origins.