Argument Essay: Cicero's View Of Natural Law

Cicero is a true believer that Natural Law exists and is ingrained in all of human beings at birth.

Cicero states that Natural Law is “…one eternal and unchangeable law [that] will be valid for all nations and all times” (Cicero 136) and that its true author must be God who, too, is eternal, unchangeable, and universal; in that sense, Cicero finds it hard to believe that Natural Law can even exist without God. Natural Law is inherent in all humans at birth and is where a human’s moral reasoning stems from – it is our conscience that tells us right from wrong, just from unjust, honorable from dishonorable. This important feature of reasoning, which, “…when it is full grown and perfected, is rightly called wisdom” (137), is the only aspect

To Cicero, Justice is another important feature that seems to be inherent in all humans at birth – “…there comes nothing more valuable than the full realization that we are born for Justice, and that right is based, not upon men’s opinion, but upon Nature” (137). Every human naturally desires Justice when they encounter an injustice, an aspect that stems from reason and Natural Law. Cicero finds that all humans, no matter how different we perceive ourselves to be from one another, are not all that different because we share this fundamental knowledge of reason, Justice, and overall Natural Law. For he says, “Whoever knows not this Law…is without Justice…Justice does not exist at all, if it does not exist in Nature” (137-138). The most important part of Justice and Natural Law that Cicero appears to stress in his writings is, “…if Nature is not to be considered the foundation of Justice, that will mean the destruction of the virtues on which human society depends” (138). Without these virtues how could humans know how to live and love? After all, Justice begins with love because humans want to see Justice brought to the victims of injustice out of love. A human is unable to have the full conception of Justice without first having the capacity to love other humans and in having this capacity, humans understand that Justice

Every aspect of mankind must live in accordance with, and believe in, the power and truth of Natural Law in order to be united. Cicero has found that even those who claim to not believe in Natural Law actually do deep down. For if this were not the case than why would Positive Law makers not create whatever Laws they want, especially if they normally would have been considered morally wrong? Again, this is because Cicero knows that these Lawmakers, deep down, understand that it is wrong. He states, “Nothing, moreover, is so completely in accordance with the demands of Nature…as is government… For the universe obeys God; seas and lands obey the universe, and human life is subject to the decrees of supreme Law” (Cicero