Natural Law and the Just Society

The natural law tradition is rooted in the understanding that society has a place within the universe as a whole. Just as the universe has a natural order that is balanced and just, so does human society. The ancient study of law-making was grounded in this correlation between the universal order and the order of society. When a society conforms to its own real nature, it will flourish and be just and attain its proper end. This view of a natural social order was central to ancient political and economic theory, ranging from Hesiod, Greek philosophy, Roman jurisprudence and medieval theology. In philosophical reflection on jurisprudence natural law has always held a special place and informed the Western understanding of justice and the good society. Society had been seen analogously to a single body with its different functions which should work harmoniously together. Law-making sought to ground itself in this natural harmony. The present study seeks to trace the history of natural law within this wider social framework. In particular it seeks to show that insights from the natural law tradition have practical application in our own times, especially in the search for social and economic justice.