Natural Law Primer

Class date: 1/20/19

• Natural Law is basically the “reality that is”
• It is universal and we are subject to it, not the other way around
• Natural Law has been taught since at least Aristotle in the 4th century BC
• Our own Declaration of Independence recognizes Natural Law in its opening paragraph
  • “… and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them…”
• When most people think of Natural Law today, they think of the physical perspective.
• This perspective applies to all created things; living and non-living alike
• Physical aspect
  • There are some things in nature that are true and cannot be changed
  • Take gravity for instance; it exists in our world, it cannot be changed, and all of nature is subject to it
  • Now politicians can get together and pass a law that states gravity doesn’t exist, but they are in for a rude awakening if they ever test this new law!!
  • This applies to all living creatures on this earth
• However, throughout history, “Natural Law” was meant to apply to the “Law of Human Nature”. From which, I believe there are two additional aspects
  • Moral aspect
  • There are some things that are universally right and universally wrong
  • What are things people say when they argue?
    • “What if I did the same thing to you?”
    • “You promised…”
    • “That’s my seat – I was there first”
  • That wronged person is appealing to some kind of standard of behavior which he expects the other person to know about
  • The accused person does not dismiss this standard
  • Rather, the person tries to make an excuse of why he is not really violating that standard
• Every moral failure causes trouble; it not only affects you, but it also affects others
  • Think about a fleet of ships sailing somewhere
    • The voyage will only be a success if in the first place, the ships do not run into each other
    • Secondly, each ship itself has to be seaworthy (engines in good order, steering linkage works properly, etc.)
    • Thirdly, where is the fleet going? The voyage would be a failure if you were trying to sail to New York and ended up in London
  • Morality is concerned with three things
    • Firstly, fair play and harmony between individuals
    • Secondly, the integrity of each individual
    • Thirdly, the purpose of human life as a whole
• People today typically think about the first thing, but rarely think about the other two things
  • What does it matter what my own ship is like as long as I don’t bump into other ships? That’s the first thing – don’t run into other ships
  • But without my own boat in order “the second thing”, I either can’t steer my boat (and bump into other boats), or my engines do not run properly (and boats bump into me)
    • You cannot make people good by imposing laws on them
    • Without good people, you cannot have a good society
  • So, what is the purpose of my human life - “the third thing”?
    • We have to get to New York, not London
    • There is a critical distinction regarding whether or not you believe you are the landlord of your own body or you are a tenant responsible to the real landlord
    • I will propose to you that you did not make yourself. And I will further propose that while your mother and father provided the building materials, they did not make you either; nature did.
    • And so you are a tenant to the real landlord, which is nature
    • This comes back around to the fact that there is a Law of Human Nature, that it is outside of us and we are subject to it, not the other way around
    • As we are subject to Natural Law, some actions are universally moral; some actions are universally immoral
  • While both the physical and moral aspects are binding upon us, there is one large difference between the two. One cannot choose to disobey the physical, but one can choose to disobey the moral.
  • So, how do I distinguish the moral from the immoral?
• Teleological aspect
• We, as people, possess a teleos (or an inward essence or aim) as part of our human nature
  • The goal of the thing is intrinsic, and not extrinsic, to itself
• What does this mean?
  • It means that our bodies, and parts of our bodies exist for a purpose
  • Our eyes exist to discern light and color
  • Our tongues help us to taste
  • Our skin allows us to sense and touch
  • Our voice is used to communicate truth
  • Our sexual organs or oriented towards procreation
  • To act contrary to our teleos is to act contrary to Natural Law

Thank you, Kevin, for providing these notes!