Concept Of Natural Law Research Articles

He Concept of Natural Law in the Noble Discourse of the Enlightenment

Political and legal theory of the Russian Enlightenment has recently become a subject of detailed investigations. Philosophers as well as intellectual historians do research in its different aspects. The topic is actualized by the aspiration to understand traditions of the Russian social thought, to see how social transformations were reflected in the logic of texts and contexts. Scholars’ approaches used here were mainly history of ideas and history of concepts. The paper considers natural law as one of the central concepts of social philosophy and political theory of the Enlightenment. The theory of natural law was the basis for social and political philosophy and the theoretical underpinning of important state documents. The paper deals with peculiarities of historical usage of concepts of “natural law”, “natural rights”, “natural man”, as well as the concept of “natural” as it was applied in non-political spheres. The research was based primarily on an analysis of the noble discourse. To clarify the case, it is presupposed that at that time there coexisted several types of mutually overlapping but incompatible discourses that belonged to different intellectual milieus — clerical, academic and noble. The nobility belonged to the ruling elite, so it was possible to transfer the ideas of noble ideologists into official documents and through state institutions into educational and academic structures. The paper illustrates how the radicalization of the concept of natural law led to its deletion from the academic practice by administrative prohibitions. The case of A.P. Kunitsyn, a teacher at the Imperial Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum, and repressions against his work “Natural Law” was studied as an example. The paper also studies the reception of natural-legal theory in the process of upbringing and education considering the importance of both institutional (through educational institutions) and non-institutional (through social practices of the nobility) intellectual reading, home education, educational travels, intellectual salons, etc.

Trzy „odczarowania” nowożytnej koncepcji prawa naturalnego

he article addresses, in the perspective of the history of modern philosophy, the issue of the transformation to which the concept of natural law was subject in the 17th and 18th centuries. The author shares the views of, among others, Habermas and Bobbio, according to which the modern concept of natural law has been made “more positive” or “disenchanted” (after Weber), and thus the traditionally understood law of nature was transformed into the concept of natural rights. The article distinguishes three forms of this process: the first one, i.e., the so-called bourgeois school of natural law (Grotius, Thomasius, Pufendorf); the second one, developed by representatives of the early (moderate) Enlightenment (Hobbes, Locke, Montesquieu); the third one, the most radical one, represented by the thinkers the late Enlightenment, mainly French encyclopaedists and materialists (La Mettrie, Holbach, Condorcet, Paine). Their common feature was the gradual abandonment of the metaphysical or theological foundations of natural law in favour of a naturalised ethic.

Hobbes on Politics and Religion ed. by Laurens van Apeldoorn and Robin Douglass

Reviewed by: Hobbes on Politics and Religion ed. by Laurens van Apeldoorn and Robin Douglass Monicka Tutschka Laurens van Apeldoorn and Robin Douglass, editors. Hobbes on Politics and Religion. New York: Oxford University Press, 2018. Pp. xiv + 297. Cloth, $70.00. It is refreshing to read fifteen erudite articles written by seasoned experts and promising young scholars who engage the wide-ranging question of the intersection of religion and politics in Hobbes's works. The free standing arguments are not framed by Hobbes's alleged religious (in)sincerity, or by a priori conceptions of natural law, or some modernization thesis. This work is therefore a must-read for scholars yearning to explore Hobbes's religious politics in new ways. I hope it inspires more volumes, possibly organized around narrower religious topics (I will suggest two). Johan Olsthoorn argues that Hobbes's theory of representation takes him beyond Erastianism to the stronger claim of church-state identity with the sovereign speaking and acting in this new unity's name. Al Martinich likens Hobbes's human sovereign to his divine natural sovereign. God's sovereignty derives from the sure and irresistible power that He [End Page 172] may exercise arbitrarily. Since Hobbes's human sovereign resembles God, the former also is not accountable to humankind if (s)he unleashes irrational, evil, or destructive power. Teresa Bejan engages the Hobbes toleration debate. The sovereign influences fundamental inner beliefs by determining what young impressionable minds hear, and youth indoctrination is at odds with toleration. To the contrary, Franck Lessay maintains that Hobbes delineates an inner sphere that is home to religious belief and reflection, and offers a prudential foundation for political authority amenable to diverse faiths. His minimalist soteriology tolerates diverse Christian belief. Alexandra Chadwick explores Hobbes's responses to the politically destabilizing aftereffects of martyrdom. To minimize these effects, Hobbes defines martyrdom narrowly. He also undermines martyrs by claiming they mistake soteriological requirements and believe wrongly in reason's power to make correct salvific judgments. Alan Cromartie exposes the novelty of Hobbes's determinist-materialist psychology and his dubious Calvinist credentials. Hobbes's determinism deviates from the soteriological accounts of the bounded will developed by Luther and Arminians. His determinism also departs from predestination defined by Calvin and prominent English Divines. Alison McQueen maintains that Hobbes used the biblical figure of Moses to support absolutism in civil war England. This was a time when many Englishmen and women took Scripture's authority for granted. Whereas republican and parliamentarian activists interpreted Mosaic rule as a defense of their politics, Hobbes intervenes to realign Mosaic rule with absolutism and risks exposing the political nature of Scriptural interpretation. Paul Davis examines Hobbes's Scriptural quotations, documenting which Biblical translations he used, and if his quotations diverge from them. Usually, Hobbes transcribed quotations faithfully. Sometimes, he borrowed from theologians who influenced him. Occasionally, he takes liberties to reconcile biblical quotations with his theories. Patricia Springborg contextualizes and explores Hobbes's intentions in Historia Ecclesiastica. She locates the poem within Hobbes's works on heresy, dating its composition between the English and Latin Leviathans. The poem elevates humanist Christian historiographers above post-Eusebius church historians. She contends that Hobbes's preference for the former reflects his fear of persecution, as the histories of the latter are rabidly sectarian. For his part, Glen Newey is unconvinced that fear of persecution led Hobbes to amend the Latin Leviathan. The Appendix's account of the Trinity is nonconformist. Hobbes either made it fit his personation theory because he thought it was right, or because it could accommodate diverse faiths. Jon Parkin argues that Hobbes's vague vision of a Christianity supportive of civil authority made him adopt an ambiguous religious identity. His writing strategies block disagreeable conclusions and tease with paradoxes. Hobbes wins over diverse believers by reengineering convictions to conform to his theories. Elad Carmel complicates the Hobbes (authoritarian)/English deist (tolerationist) binary. Hobbes's anticlericalism, commitment to rational religion, and skepticism toward revelation influenced the English deists. He is a precursor to radical enlightenment. Jeffrey Collins asserts that Hobbes constructed two different conceptions of 'religious war.' The first is historically specific, addresses prominent causes of England's war...

Витоки концепції прав людини

У статті здійснено аналіз формування основ прав людини в ранніх юридичних текстах і філософських думках. Оскільки концепція прав людини сягає ще самого світанку людської цивілізації, вона закріплена в усіх великих релігіях світу. На перший погляд це поняття видається таким, що асоціюється із сучасним світом, проте його витоки зустрічаються дуже глибоко у вічності. У всьому світі основні релігії, незважаючи на різницю в їх змісті, мають гуманістичну точку зору, яка підтримує права людини.
 Основи прав людини також укорінені в античній думці й у філософських концепціях природного права та природних прав. У статті досліджується вплив ідей справедливості й прав людини в Стародавньому Єгипті та Близькому Сході, стародавньому Китаї, Класичній Греції, Середньовіччі, в епоху Відродження й епоху Просвітництва. Розглянуто відповідні твори кількох мислителів, включаючи Менція та Платона, зазначено, що в стародавніх писаннях є посилання на основні права людини, хоча цей термін не згадується. Термін «права людини» ввійшов дещо пізніше в словниковий запас людства. Він уперше використаний Томасом Пейном. Протягом століть більшість ранніх філософських теорій природного права зосереджувалася виключно на загальних моральних обов'язках.
 Зазначається, що боротьба за права людини почалася в західному світі приблизно на початку XIII століття. Однак права, що містяться в Маґна Карті, були не правами людини, а радше політичними врегулюваннями. Суттєвий вплив на становлення концепції здійснили ідеї філософів епохи Просвітництва, для яких спільним було бажання розширити свободу, право користуватися свободою віросповідання й вираження поглядів, право на справедливість і на захист верховенства права. Підсумковий поворот цього періоду, котрий принципово сприяв становленню ідей справедливості й прав людини, настав з американською та французькою революціями. Унаслідок цих історичних подій прийнято низку важливих юридичних текстів, які в подальшому стануть зразками для наслідування під час укладення практично кожного міжнародного договору у сфері прав людини.

Christian Conception of Natural Law and the Moral Theory of the State

Christian Conception of Natural Law and the Moral Theory of the State

Pierre Manent a természetjogról és az emberi jogokról

A dolgozat arra vállalkozik, hogy Pierre Manent rangidős francia katolikus filozófusnak a természetjog visszaállítására vonatkozó javaslatát mutassa be, főként A természetjog és az emberi jogok című 2017-eskönyve alapján. Manent könyve egyben a természetes emberi jogok diskurzusának éles kritikája is. Kiindulópontja az e diskurzusra jellemző belső ellentmondásosság, amely az Európán belüli, illetve a földrészen kívüli helyzetre vonatkozó emberjogi érvelések közötti különbség miatt keletkezik. A szinkrón helyzetelemzést eszmetörténeti rekonstrukció követi, a Machiavellitől Hobbesig vezető fejlődési ív bemutatása, amely elvezetett a természetjog háttérbe szorításához és az emberi jogok beszédmódjának felerősödéséhez. E szinkrón és diakrón helyzetelemzés után tárja elénk a filozófus saját felfogásának alapjait. Kiindulópontja, hogy a politika világa a parancs és az engedelmesség logikájára épül, s a cselekvő embert helyezi középpontjába. E politikaképet egy olyan szűkített természetjogi koncepció követi Manent gondolatmenetében, amely az emberi ermészetet meghatározó háromféle motiváció (a kellemes, a hasznos és a tisztességes – kiegészülve az igazságossal és a nemessel) alapján megítélhetőnek tartja a politikai rezsimeket. Míg e szűkített koncepciót a dolgozat kétkedéssel fogadja, annál meggyőzőbbnek tartja azt a manent-iérvelést, amely az arisztoteliánus–tomista gyakorlati bölcsességet és a közjóra hivatkozó érvelést kívánja visszahozni a kortárs diskurzusba, saját helyére szorítva vissza az emberjogi beszédmód politikai felhasználását.

(Zlo)upotreba retorike - primeri od antike do savremene države nacionalnog nadzora

The art of beautiful speech has its origins in the ancient Greek tradition. In sophistic discussions of justice and truth, eloquence played a notable role. Plato did not deny the importance of the art of persuasion, but he pointed out the difference between the knowledge provided by philosophy and the belief that is a consequence of persuasion. Therefore, the authors try to shed light on whether rhetoric is a morally neutral skill with a great ability to relativize. In this sense, Kelsen's critique of the natural law concepts of justice and truth are considered. Due to the impossibility of their absolute determination, Kelsen emphasized the fateful significance of theological teachings and rhetoric that convinced people of the existence of the one and only value system that is the basis of all norms. Thus, it turned out that rhetoric was extremely important for natural law, but its significance is even greater today. The changes brought by the modern age, among which a special place is occupied by endangering the privacy of citizens due to the collecting personal data and strengthening the culture of surveillance, especially emphasize the need to use the finest tuned rhetorical elements. Convincing the existence of absolute norms turned into convincing the need for perpetual surveillance of citizens in order to ensure their survival. Therefore, the authors conclude that rhetoric is a morally neutral skill with great potential for everyday (mis)use and that in the current circumstances it has an advantage over philosophical considerations about absolute values. At the same time, the authors point out that such an abuse of the art of persuasion will lead to the other extremity from which people will seek a way out by returning to philosophy.

Understanding of Marriage and the Concept of Natural Law

Autor članka postavio je dva glavna cilja. Prvi je cilj da se, na temelju naznačenih definicije braka, skiciraju temeljne promjene kojima je institucija braka trenutno podvrgnuta (kriza ciljeva, privatizacija, astave, konkubinat, istospolni odnosi). Drugi cilj je prikaz problema vezanih uz priznavanje naravnoga prava, kojima se zagovara tradicionalno razumijevanje braka kao zajednice muškarca i žene. Polazi se od uvjerenja o stanovitom odnosu između razumijevanja braka i temeljnoga koncepta naravnoga prava. Prikazana su dva temeljna koncepta naravnoga prava: aristotelsko-tomistički i suvremeni, čije su posljedice navedene u zaključcima. Oba koncepta pretpostavljaju određeno razumijevanje ljudske naravi koja se u prvom slučaju tretira kao statična (duhovno-fizička struktura) i, u drugom slučaju, kao dinamična (inteligentna sloboda).

The Concept of Nature in Libertarianism

ABSTRACTLibertarians are not famed as friends of nature – but is that a matter of principle? I examine consequentialist, deontological and teleological versions of left- and right-libertarianism on three dimensions: their concepts of natural law, geo- and biological nature, and human nature – the latter subdivided into what characterizes humans and what distinguishes them from other animals. Both a positive ‘new world’ as opposed a negative ‘old world’ appreciation of wilderness, and a more consistent appreciation of the human subject as imperfect and not all that different from some animals, can, I will argue, give libertarianism an exceptionally green hue.

The rule of law: Natural, human, and divine

In this paper we compare two different contexts—the legal and the scientific—in which the concept of law is prominent. We argue that the acute philosophical awareness, in the early modern period, of the difficulties surrounding the law concept in the scientific context, and the various responses to these difficulties, are rooted in an earlier tradition of jurisprudential concerns over the concept of natural law in its legal sense. We seek to show, further, that each one of the various philosophical accounts of the concept of natural law (in both of its senses) is embedded in a metaphysical and theological context, so that different visions of God yield different accounts of the meaning of the natural law idiom in science as well as legal theory.

P. I. Novgorodtsev’s Neo-Kantianism: Novgorodtsev and Savalskiy Debate

The paper presents an analysis of one episode from the life of two Russian scientists, namely the discussion between P. Novgorodtsev and his student V. Savalskiy. All the poignancy of the episode lies in the fact that both opposing thinkers had been followers of neokantianism trends in philosophy, and defended the concept of natural law. In addition, a detailed description of life and work of the little-known philosopher of law Vasiliy Alexandrovich Savalskiy is given. It is noted that at the beginning of his scientific search, he became the main researcher and critic of the teachings of neo-kantians in Russia. During his time at the University of Warsaw V. Savalskiy studied the problems of history and theory of state and law, constitutional law.

Metaphysical justification for an economic constitution? Franz Böhm and the concept of natural law

The paper analyzes references to the concept of natural law in the work of legal scholar Franz Bohm (1895–1977), one of the founders of German ordoliberalism and a pioneer in working at the intersection of law and economics. Bohm was particularly interested in the economic constitution, the framework of legal rules that shape economic transactions. It is shown that Bohm’s work on this subject relates to natural law in two distinct ways. Firstly, from classical political economy, he adopts the argument that there are patterns in human behavior that allow for the establishment of a self-organizing mechanism that governs economic activity, a social order “bestowed by nature” or “ordo”. Secondly, given the distinction in jurisprudence between legal positivists and natural law theorists, the paper argues that Bohm should be viewed as the latter because he maintains that legal norms need to correspond to justice in order to be valid law. Despite his status as a natural law theorist, Bohm contends that legal systems must not be derived from metaphysical sources.

Grotius on Natural Law and Supererogation

This article provides a novel interpretation of Grotius’s conception of natural law. Prior interpretations have overlooked Grotius’s doctrine of supererogation and hence misrepresented, in varying ways, the content of his law of nature and its relation to justice and individual rights. Grotius, I contend, created logical space for supererogation by making natural obligation rather than natural morality determinative of natural law. Natural law regulates only those actions that are obligatory or illicit by their nature (i.e. without human or divine command). Acting in accordance with virtues other than justice is intrinsically morally good but not usually morally required. However, circumstances may fall out such that otherwise supererogatory actions cannot be omitted without committing a moral wrong: natural law is then rendering their performance mandatory.

Human rights in the light of the concepts of natural law

Human rights in the light of the concepts of natural law

Kazirodztwo jako przykład sporu między prawem naturalnym a pozytywnym

Artykuł przedstawia kazirodztwo jako przykład sporu między prawem naturalnym a pozytywnym. Analizie poddano art. 201 k.k., dokonując jej przez pryzmat dóbr prawnych, które zgodnie z poglądami przedstawicieli doktryny artykuł ten ma chronić. W jego treści zakaz kazirodztwa jako rodzaj normy prawnonaturalnej poddany jest ocenie z punktu widzenia koncepcji zarówno maksymalizmu prawnonaturalnego, jak i minimum prawa natury H.L.A. Harta. Artykuł w swojej treści odnosi się również do istotnego braku powszechności penalizacji omawianego zjawiska w ustawodawstwach innych państw europejskich. Autor przyjmuje, że polska, ustawowa penalizacja kazirodztwa spełnia warunki koncepcji minimum prawa natury i tym samym daje wyraz przyjęciu przez ustawodawcę ochrony zasad o charakterze moralnym, obecnych w polskiej kulturze.

Концепції природного права та природних прав людини як ідеологічна основа загальної декларації прав людини

Концепції природного права та природних прав людини як ідеологічна основа загальної декларації прав людини

Проблема морального содержания права в концепции Дж. Финниса

The law and morality the interrelation issue has been the subject for many discussions, recent works in the philosophy field and law ethics of renowned authors as H. Hart, L. Fuller and J. Finnis, who contributed significantly to the topic. The key question about the moral content of law is examined within the polemics between theorists of legal positivism and natural law legal theorists. This article touches upon this issue by the example of the concept of John Finnis, one of the most brilliant contemporary law philosophers, his neo-naturalistic concept of natural law includes some ideas of modern positivism. J. Finnis claims natural law appears as a set of principles of practical reasonableness for the ordering of human life and the human community. Law acts as a method to ensure “the common good” of the community and is based on seven self-evident, as he believes the basic human goods necessary for the human flourishing. The requirements of practical reasonableness compose the content of natural law, contain recommendations on how to carry out these self-evident goods. For Finnis, the aim of law is to provide conditions, according to the requirements of practical reasonableness, in which these seven goods can be realized. It is outlined that J. Finnis regards law as a social institute which purpose is to regulate human affairs, and thus to promote the creation of a community where everyone could realize the seven fundamental goods for humankind.

La vida humana entre la perfección y la caída según san Agustín

In this analysis of St. Augustine’s concept of natural law, the focus
 will be on the way he presents, in a continuous development,
 the ideas of moral compulsion and personal growth. In Augustine’s
 interpretation of the biblical text, the foundations of natural
 law are provided, such that morality is not simply the fruit of consensus. Man is seen not only as a product of history, even though he cannot be understood outside of it. The natural order and the supernatural order are this way tied together.

YOU EXIST BECAUSE MAAT EXISTS; MAAT EXISTS BECAUSE YOU EXIST

In the course of a few thousands of years of their history, the ancient Egyptians developed a very complex concept of cosmic order represented by the notion of maat and personified by the goddess Maat. It involved many of the cardinal laws described by subse¬quent philosophers, such as the Truth, the Law and Justice. One may claim that the principle of cosmic balance which involved both the forces of nature (physics) and the moral order is the earliest example of the activity of an all-embracing principle of natural law (You exist because Maat exists. Maat exists because you exist). The principle of maat which is ensured by the king operates permanently (for Maat embraces you day and night). A righteous man may rely on its protection both during his lifetime as well as during the judgment of the dead. The rules of the material law (referred to with the word hp, hepu), which were merely at the stage of development in Egypt, operate according to the law of Maat. Unfortunately, this refined holistic concept of natural law is underexplored and it was rarely referred to in the considerations about the beginnings of human thinking

ПРОБЛЕМА МОРАЛЬНОГО СОДЕРЖАНИЯ ПРАВА В КОНЦЕПЦИЯХ Л. ФУЛЛЕРА И Г. ХАРТА

The article is devoted to the analysis of the discussion between the leading legal philosophers of the XX century H. L. A. Hart and L. L. Fuller on the issue of the morality of law, by the example of which both theoretical and practical collisions of legal positivism and natural law concepts are solved. The focus is on the idea of the internal morality of law proposed by L. Fuller, which is intended to provide not only moral justification, but also the power of law. The authors conclude that it is the morality of law that makes it possible to avoid state authoritarianism and repressive methods of law functioning.