Natural Law

For centuries the dominant philosophical thought on the issue of natural law was dominated by the Catholic Church's theocracy (Gula, 1989). Natural law is the idea that law exists that is set by nature and that therefore it is universally validity (Cochrane, 1857). The first great philosopher to establish the early views on natural law was St. Augustine. St. Augustine's views on natural law were to develop over time into what is now called classic naturalism and were based on the concept that law cannot be fully articulated without some reference to moral notions (Augustine, 2005).

Augustine believed and argued that the laws of nature were dictated by God and therefore were superior to any other form of law. Such laws, as prescribed by God, were universal and timeless and that any man-made laws were valid if, and only if, they were in accordance with the laws of...
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