What is Natural Law?

Natural law is the theory that an eternal, absolute moral law can be determined by reason. Key scholars are Thomas Aquinas and Aristotle. Aquinas developed the Four Tiers of law, placing natural law on the second tier, above human law and below divine and eternal law.  Ancient Stoics emphasised the importance of ‘logos’ of ‘rationality’ that governs the world and sees human nature as part of one natural order. The law of Right Reason. St Paul wrote about law that is “written in the hearts” – Romans 2: 14-15. St Thomas Aquinas developed a fuller account of natural law in his Summa Theologica. He based his ideas on the works of Aristotle. Aristotle said that “the natural is that which everywhere is equally valid”. Aquinas’ ethics was very much individualistic to people. “Law is nothing else than ordination of reason for the common good, promulgated by the one in charge of community”.
Key summary of Natural Law: ·        It is absolutist and deontological·        It directs people to their divine destiny·        It is the divine law: do good, avoid evil·        The law is revealed in scripture, but it can be deduced through reason·        Ignoring reason is ignoring God’s command·        Acts are intrinsically good or bad·        Both the intention and the act are important, both must be done out of love for others.