NATURAL LAW

WHAT IS NATURAL LAW?

• IT IS A SYSTEM OF RIGHT OR JUSTICE

HELD TO BE COMMON TO ALL HUMANS
AND DERIVED FROM NATURE RATHER
THAN FROM THE RULES OF SOCIETY, OR
POSITIVE LAW.
• NATURAL LAW IS CONSTANT
THROUGHOUT TIME AND ACROSS THE
GLOBE BECAUSE IT IS BASED ON HUMAN
NATURE, NOT ON CULTURE OR CUSTOMS.
• HUMAN BEINGS ARE NOT TAUGHT
NATURAL LAW PER SE, BUT RATHER WE
“DISCOVER” IT BY CONSISTENTLY MAKING
CHOICES FOR GOOD INSTEAD OF EVIL. 
 HOW IT DIFFERS FROM POSITIVE LAW?
• POSITIVE LAW IS STATUTE AND COMMON LAW
 AND MAY OR MAY NOT REFLECT THE NATURAL
LAW.
• THESE ARE “MAN-MADE LAW”
• EXAMPLES OF POSITIVE LAW INCLUDE RULES
SUCH AS THE SPEED THAT INDIVIDUALS ARE
ALLOWED TO DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE
AGE THAT INDIVIDUALS CAN LEGALLY
PURCHASE ALCOHOL. 
 EXAMPLES
• HUMANS HAVE A NATURAL DRIVE TO EAT, DRINK,
SLEEP, AND PROCREATE. THESE ACTIONS ARE IN
ACCORD WITH A NATURAL LAW FOR SPECIES TO
SURVIVE AND PROCREATE. THUS ACTIVITIES IN
CONFORMITY WITH SUCH A LAW ARE MORALLY
GOOD. ACTIVITES THAT WORK AGAINST THAT LAW
ARE MORALLY WRONG. THE NATURE OF THE ACT IS
ITSELF GOOD, OR AT LEAST MORALLY NEUTRAL.
• THE PRINCIPLE OF DOUBLE EFFECT IS
FREQUENTLY CITED IN CASES OF PREGNANCY
AND ABORTION.
• IN CASES OF TERMINALLY ILL PATIENTS WHO
WOULD HASTEN THEIR DEATHS BECAUSE OF
UNBERABLE PAIN, A PRINCIPLE OF “DOUBLE
EFFECT DEATH” COULD BE APPLIED.