C.S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man (London, Oxford University Press, H. Milford 1943).
From the back cover: In this graceful work, C. S. Lewis reflects on society and nature and the challenges of how best to educate our children. He eloquently argues that we need as a society to underpin reading and writing with lessons on morality and in the process both educate and re-educate ourselves. In the words of Walter Hooper, "If someone were to come to me and say that, with the exception of the Bible, everyone on earth was going to be required to read one and the same book, and then ask what it should be, I would with no hesitation say The Abolition of Man. It is the most perfectly reasoned defense of Natural Law (Morality) I have ever seen, or believe to exist. If any book is able to save us from future excesses of folly and evil, it is this book."
Showing posts with label Natural law. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Natural law. Show all posts
A Critique of the New Natural Law Theory
Russell Hittinger, A Critique of the New Natural Law Theory (1989).
Reviews from the publisher:
"Few authors possess Hittinger’s extraordinary command of contemporary as well as classical moral theory…This book establishes Hittinger as a moral philosopher of first rank."
-Jude Doughterty, Catholic University of America
"The book is written in a clear and forceful style. It is ideal for use in ethics and logic classes as a model of critical reasoning, although its principal audience will no doubt be philosophers and theologians interested in natural law ethics."
-International Philosophical Quarterly
Reviews from the publisher:
"Few authors possess Hittinger’s extraordinary command of contemporary as well as classical moral theory…This book establishes Hittinger as a moral philosopher of first rank."
-Jude Doughterty, Catholic University of America
"The book is written in a clear and forceful style. It is ideal for use in ethics and logic classes as a model of critical reasoning, although its principal audience will no doubt be philosophers and theologians interested in natural law ethics."
-International Philosophical Quarterly
Natural Law Theory and the Law of Nations: Some Theoretical Considerations
James V. Schall, Natural Law Theory and the Law of Nations: Some Theoretical Considerations, 15 Fordham Int’l L. J. 997 (1991-92).
The Tradition of Natural Law: A Philosopher's Reflections
Yves R. Simon, The Tradition of Natural Law: A Philosopher's Reflections (Fordham Univ. Press 1992) (reprint).
From the publisher:
The tradition of natural law is one of the foundations of Western civilization. At its heart is the conviction that there is an objective and universal justice which transcends humanity’s particular expressions of justice. It asserts that there are certain ways of behaving which are appropriate to humanity simply by virtue of the fact that we are all human beings. Recent political debates indicate that it is not a tradition that has gone unchallenged: in fact, the opposition is as old as the tradition itself.
By distinguishing between philosophy and ideology, by recalling the historical adventures of natural law, and by reviewing the theoretical problems involved in the doctrine, Simon clarifies much of the confusion surrounding this perennial debate. He tackles the questions raised by the application of natural law with skill and honesty as he faces the difficulties of the subject.
Simon warns against undue optimism in a revival of interest in natural law and insists that the study of natural law beings with the analysis of “the law of the land.” He writes not as a polemicist but as a philosopher, and he writes of natural law with the same force, conciseness, lucidity and simplicity which have distinguished all his other works.
From the publisher:
The tradition of natural law is one of the foundations of Western civilization. At its heart is the conviction that there is an objective and universal justice which transcends humanity’s particular expressions of justice. It asserts that there are certain ways of behaving which are appropriate to humanity simply by virtue of the fact that we are all human beings. Recent political debates indicate that it is not a tradition that has gone unchallenged: in fact, the opposition is as old as the tradition itself.
By distinguishing between philosophy and ideology, by recalling the historical adventures of natural law, and by reviewing the theoretical problems involved in the doctrine, Simon clarifies much of the confusion surrounding this perennial debate. He tackles the questions raised by the application of natural law with skill and honesty as he faces the difficulties of the subject.
Simon warns against undue optimism in a revival of interest in natural law and insists that the study of natural law beings with the analysis of “the law of the land.” He writes not as a polemicist but as a philosopher, and he writes of natural law with the same force, conciseness, lucidity and simplicity which have distinguished all his other works.
In Defense of Natural Law
Phillip E. Johnson, In Defense of Natural Law, First Things, Nov. 1999.
This is an excellent book review article by Phillip E. Johnson in which he discusses "the new natural law philosophy of Germain Grisez, John Finnis, and several others." The above link will direct you to the text of the article, originally printed in "First Things" in November 1999 (sign-up required).
Note: The article is also available to read online at the Discovery Institute.
This is an excellent book review article by Phillip E. Johnson in which he discusses "the new natural law philosophy of Germain Grisez, John Finnis, and several others." The above link will direct you to the text of the article, originally printed in "First Things" in November 1999 (sign-up required).
Note: The article is also available to read online at the Discovery Institute.
America’s “Culture War”—The Sinister Denial of Virtue and the Decline of Natural Law
Douglas W. Kmiec, America’s “Culture War”—The Sinister Denial of Virtue and the Decline of Natural Law, 13 St. Louis U. Pub. L. Rev. 183 (1993).
The Natural Law: A Study in Legal and Social History and Philosophy
Heinrich Rommen, The Natural Law: A Study in Legal and Social History and Philosophy (Thomas R. Hanley trans., Liberty Fund 1998) (1936).
From the publisher: Originally published in German in 1936, The Natural Law is the first work to clarify the differences between traditional natural law as represented in the writings of Cicero, Aquinas, and Hooker and the revolutionary doctrines of natural fights espoused by Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau. Beginning with the legacies of Greek and Roman life and thought, Rommen traces the natural law tradition to its displacement by legal positivism and concludes with what the author calls "the reappearance" of natural law thought in more recent times. In seven chapters each, Rommen explores "The History of the Idea of Natural Law" and "The Philosophy and Content of the Natural Law." In his introduction, Russell Hittinger places Rommen's work in the context of contemporary debate on the relevance of natural law to philosophical inquiry and constitutional interpretation.
From the publisher: Originally published in German in 1936, The Natural Law is the first work to clarify the differences between traditional natural law as represented in the writings of Cicero, Aquinas, and Hooker and the revolutionary doctrines of natural fights espoused by Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau. Beginning with the legacies of Greek and Roman life and thought, Rommen traces the natural law tradition to its displacement by legal positivism and concludes with what the author calls "the reappearance" of natural law thought in more recent times. In seven chapters each, Rommen explores "The History of the Idea of Natural Law" and "The Philosophy and Content of the Natural Law." In his introduction, Russell Hittinger places Rommen's work in the context of contemporary debate on the relevance of natural law to philosophical inquiry and constitutional interpretation.
The Intellectual Context of Natural Law
James V. Schall, The Intellectual Context of Natural Law, 38 Am. J. Juris. 85 (1993).
From the author's introduction:
The subject of natural law, though one of the really fascinating subjects of our philosophic and legal tradition, is not widely considered today even in law schools or political science departments, let alone in philosophic or theological treatises, all of which actually have something to say about the subject. However, it is a perennial theme of remarkable vigor and interest to those perceptive thinkers who are brave enough to reconsider the topic.
From the author's introduction:
The subject of natural law, though one of the really fascinating subjects of our philosophic and legal tradition, is not widely considered today even in law schools or political science departments, let alone in philosophic or theological treatises, all of which actually have something to say about the subject. However, it is a perennial theme of remarkable vigor and interest to those perceptive thinkers who are brave enough to reconsider the topic.
Natural law as "Law"
Russell Hittinger, Natural law as “Law”: Reflections on the Occasion of Veritatis Splendor, 39 Am. J. Juris. 1 (1994).
Professor Hittinger begins by defining “natural law” and then proves the centrality of theology, moral ethics, and law to modern discourse on the topic.
Professor Hittinger begins by defining “natural law” and then proves the centrality of theology, moral ethics, and law to modern discourse on the topic.
Blackstone's Commentaries
William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (1765-1769).
A plug for Blackstone:
Read Blackstone's Commentaries here.
A plug for Blackstone:
The Christian philosophy of law came to full bloom in England with the work of Sir William Blackstone in his monumental Commentaries on the Laws of England. In his seminal chapter on ‘the Nature of Laws in General,’ Blackstone stated his Christian thesis with unmistakable clarity [quotation omitted]. Published in 1765, Blackstone’s Commentaries quickly became the definitive treatise on the common law both in England and in America.Herbert W. Titus, God’s Revelation: Foundation for the Common Law, 4 Regent U. L. Rev. 1, 3 (1994).
Read Blackstone's Commentaries here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)