Natural Law: Its Nature and Validity

Abstract

The object of this paper is to discuss the concept of natural law, a concept that has played, and continues to play, a significant role in legal philosophy. This concept has given rise to much debate regarding its meaning, validity, and usefulness as a tool for thinking about issues in legal philosophy and human rights. In the first section of this paper, we provide a brief historical introduction to the concept of natural law. In the second section, we outline and explain the different meanings that have been associated with this concept since its inception. In the third section, we discuss the concept of "law" with the aim of determining whether natural law deserves to be viewed as an instance of "law". In the fourth section, we discuss natural law from the perspective of its "naturalness," seeking to determine whether there is any sense of "nature" in which natural law can be said to be natural.