Thomas Aquinas: Natural Law And The Ordinance Of Reason

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Thomas Aquinas believed that a law had four aspects. The first is that a law is an ordinance of reason. This is because “it belongs to the law to command and to forbid” and “it belongs to reason to command” (207). Reason and law are dependent of one another. The second aspect of law is that it is for the common good. This aspect is very basic since laws are made to assist human beings. The third aspect that Aquinas declares must be met is that the law is made by one who has authority. In short, a law cannot be made by someone who has not been elected to the position to make laws. The final aspect for a law is that is must be promulgated. Aquinas defines natural law as something that is given fundamentally in the order of things. Since “the natural law is something appointed by reason”, it is not a habit. However, human law will always flow from natural law. Because of this, one can assume that politics should always follow natural law. …show more content…

He says that “the right of nature, which writers commonly call jus naturale, is the liberty each man hath, to use his own power, as he will himself, for the preservation of his own nature” (252). This means that natural law is there for the preservation of mankind. One who is destructive to his life goes against the law of nature. Hobbes identifies the fundamental law of nature as “to seek peace and follow it” and the right of nature as to do everything we can to defend ourselves (252). It is possible to conclude from this that Hobbes would be in favor of war if peace could not be acquired. However, if peace it found, it is not necessary to defend oneself or go to

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