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The Essential Natural Law: Essential Scholars
Few ideas have been as influential in the development of moral, political, legal, and economic thought in the broad Western tradition as the idea of natural law. It is also true that the understanding of natural law and its influence on specific norms and institutions—rights, justice, private property, rule of law, limited government—is not anywhere near as widespread in the 21st century as it was just 100 years ago. This book aims to help rectify this deficit by explaining the basic principles of natural law and highlighting significant contributions that key natural law scholars have made to ideas and concepts that have encouraged the growth of free societies.
The idea of natural law holds that all people, whatever their ethnicity, culture, or religion, can know the difference between good and evil, right and wrong. The idea, for example, of the Golden Rule—do unto others as you would have them do unto you—is understood as a principle of moral conduct that everyone can know. While such beliefs are applied to different and changing conditions and problems, the core principles always apply.
However, natural law is not a static tradition of thought. It has developed over time, partly through natural law theorists clarifying particular concepts, and partly through its proponents responding to ongoing intellectual challenges to its positions and changes in the realm of politics, society, and the economy. Whether it was the encounter between Europeans and the peoples of the New World in the late 15th century, or questions about what justice meant in the context of emerging market economies in the late 18th century, natural law scholars have applied natural law principles to discern how people should choose and act in these changing contexts.
While this book seeks to introduce listeners to how natural law thinkers have contributed to the enhancement of freedom in the political, legal, and economic realms, we will focus on some scholars more than others. These include individuals like Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), Francisco Suárez, and Hugo Grotius, to name just a few.
Some focused their attention on very practical challenges arising from liberty of commerce within and across sovereign boundaries, while others explored the rights and obligations of individuals to each other as well as the state. All these endeavors helped to furnish an apparatus for thinking about the political, legal, and economic institutions necessary for promoting freedom and justice.
The idea of natural law holds that all people, whatever their ethnicity, culture, or religion, can know the difference between good and evil, right and wrong. The idea, for example, of the Golden Rule—do unto others as you would have them do unto you—is understood as a principle of moral conduct that everyone can know. While such beliefs are applied to different and changing conditions and problems, the core principles always apply.
However, natural law is not a static tradition of thought. It has developed over time, partly through natural law theorists clarifying particular concepts, and partly through its proponents responding to ongoing intellectual challenges to its positions and changes in the realm of politics, society, and the economy. Whether it was the encounter between Europeans and the peoples of the New World in the late 15th century, or questions about what justice meant in the context of emerging market economies in the late 18th century, natural law scholars have applied natural law principles to discern how people should choose and act in these changing contexts.
While this book seeks to introduce listeners to how natural law thinkers have contributed to the enhancement of freedom in the political, legal, and economic realms, we will focus on some scholars more than others. These include individuals like Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), Francisco Suárez, and Hugo Grotius, to name just a few.
Some focused their attention on very practical challenges arising from liberty of commerce within and across sovereign boundaries, while others explored the rights and obligations of individuals to each other as well as the state. All these endeavors helped to furnish an apparatus for thinking about the political, legal, and economic institutions necessary for promoting freedom and justice.
Audible Audio
Published May 18, 2023
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About the author
Samuel Gregg
58 books36 followersDr. Samuel Gregg has a D.Phil. in moral philosophy and political economy from Oxford University, and an M.A. in political philosophy from the University of Melbourne.
He has written and spoken extensively on questions of political economy, economic history, monetary theory and policy, and natural law theory.
In 2001, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, and a Member of the Mont Pèlerin Society in 2004. In 2008, he was elected a member of the Philadelphia Society, and a member of the Royal Economic Society. In 2017, he was made a Fellow of the Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University. He served as President of the Philadelphia Society from 2019-2021.
He has written and spoken extensively on questions of political economy, economic history, monetary theory and policy, and natural law theory.
In 2001, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, and a Member of the Mont Pèlerin Society in 2004. In 2008, he was elected a member of the Philadelphia Society, and a member of the Royal Economic Society. In 2017, he was made a Fellow of the Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University. He served as President of the Philadelphia Society from 2019-2021.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 9, 2024
Another audiobook from the essential scholars series. I enjoyed the first two that I listened to, but this one was not very good. I was in and out and found myself not paying attention. It was about 2 hours and 20 minutes on 1.75 speed. I have a few more of these to listen to in the series, and I hope they are better than this one.
March 7, 2022
The author says: “The study of natural law consequently involves identifying and applying the principles of rational thought to how we know and choose the good, right, and just when we make free choices”. Nevertheless, the author never concludes which are those principles.
I agree with Samuel Gregg when he says that freedom is necessary to make free choices. But, for the author, it is not clear which are those principles deduced from rational thought. For the author, liberty is not one of these principles.
In contrast, the Declaration of Independence of the United States expresses very clearly that liberty is an inalienable right, deduced from Natural Law. The purpose of government is to protect liberty. But for the author, liberty is not an inalienable right but something that is subject to constrain. But the author never explains, using rational thought, why liberty should be constrained.
The author assumes that the subsidiarity principle, applied to government, is deduced from Natural Law. His argument is flawed because before talking about the subsidiarity principle, the author must demonstrate first, using rational thought, why the State is need it and what is its purpose, which the author never does. The subsidiarity principle goes beyond giving the State the function of protecting liberty, so it needs a justification. Otherwise, it seems like an author’s caprice.
The author also assumes, without explaining how that the State can help society. Subsidiarity assumes that the bureaucrat seeks, not their own interest but the common good. This is nonsense as public choice theory has demonstrated. Bureaucrats seek their own interest and that is why they should never intervene in society because it will never improve it.
In summary, the author doesn’t give a single universal principle that can be deduced from Natural Law. Individual liberty is important, but the author doesn’t explain why it should be constrained. He lacks a State Theory to justify its existence. Without justifying the State's existence, everything that is said about it lacks reasoning support and falls into arbitrariness territory.
The Natural Law, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7... is a much better book on the subject.
I agree with Samuel Gregg when he says that freedom is necessary to make free choices. But, for the author, it is not clear which are those principles deduced from rational thought. For the author, liberty is not one of these principles.
In contrast, the Declaration of Independence of the United States expresses very clearly that liberty is an inalienable right, deduced from Natural Law. The purpose of government is to protect liberty. But for the author, liberty is not an inalienable right but something that is subject to constrain. But the author never explains, using rational thought, why liberty should be constrained.
The author assumes that the subsidiarity principle, applied to government, is deduced from Natural Law. His argument is flawed because before talking about the subsidiarity principle, the author must demonstrate first, using rational thought, why the State is need it and what is its purpose, which the author never does. The subsidiarity principle goes beyond giving the State the function of protecting liberty, so it needs a justification. Otherwise, it seems like an author’s caprice.
The author also assumes, without explaining how that the State can help society. Subsidiarity assumes that the bureaucrat seeks, not their own interest but the common good. This is nonsense as public choice theory has demonstrated. Bureaucrats seek their own interest and that is why they should never intervene in society because it will never improve it.
In summary, the author doesn’t give a single universal principle that can be deduced from Natural Law. Individual liberty is important, but the author doesn’t explain why it should be constrained. He lacks a State Theory to justify its existence. Without justifying the State's existence, everything that is said about it lacks reasoning support and falls into arbitrariness territory.
The Natural Law, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7... is a much better book on the subject.
October 22, 2022
Great introduction to the importance of understanding Natural Law
Great introduction to the development of Natural Law philosophy through reason and concern for human flourishing. Also really liked the connection to historical development of civilization.
Great introduction to the development of Natural Law philosophy through reason and concern for human flourishing. Also really liked the connection to historical development of civilization.
November 11, 2023
I highlighted just about the entire book. A well-done summary of one of the most important ideas of human history. Should be mandatory reading for everyone--but due to the subject matter, that would be...ironic.
July 6, 2023
A nice introduction.
September 30, 2024
This book is an excellent introduction to the concepts of natural law. In these times natural law may be our own savior. I knocked one star off because sometimes it was unneededly complicated.
September 9, 2024
Disliked the audio book. Loved the ideas.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews