The Natural Law Reader

The Natural Law Reader features a selection of readings in metaphysics, jurisprudence, politics, and ethics that are all related to the classical Natural Law tradition in the modern world.

• Features a concise presentation of the natural law position that offers the reader a focal point for discussion of ancient and contemporary ideas in the natural law tradition
• Draws upon the metaphysical and ethical categories put forth and developed by Aristotle and Aquinas
• Points to the historical significance and contemporary relevance of the Natural Law tradition
• Reflects on a revival of interest in the tradition of virtue ethics and human rights

“"This volume is a fine addition to an increasing number of books on the subject. Its conception reflects the renewal of interest in the natural law tradition over the past half-century or so. In popularising and making readily accessible a vast canon of essays for the benefit of the seasoned academic as much as the newcomer in the fields of jurisprudence, ethics, and political philosophy, the editors have produced an anthology which, I am confident, will serve as an invaluable contribution to that renewal." ( New Blackfriars , 9 April 2015)”

“This volume is a fine addition to an increasing number of books on the subject.  Its conception reflects the renewal of interest in the natural law tradition over the past half-century or so. In popularising and making readily accessible a vast canon of essays for the benefit of the seasoned academic as much as the newcomer in the fields of jurisprudence, ethics, and political philosophy, the editors have produced an anthology which, I am confident, will serve as an invaluable contribution to that renewal.”  (New Blackfriars, 9 April 2015)

Jacqueline A. Laing is Senior Lecturer in Law at London Metropolitan University. She has a doctorate in Jurisprudence from the University of Oxford and first degrees in philosophy and law from the Australian National University. A barrister of the High Court of Australia and a solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales, Dr. Laing writes on a wide range of subjects in philosophy, law and jurisprudence.

Russell Wilcox is Visiting Professor in Law at the University of Navarre, where he is also a Research Fellow in its newly established Institute of Culture and Society. He is a barrister of Gray’s Inn and has a PhD from the University of London. 

The natural law tradition is an enduring one that has been at the very heart of Western ethical, political, and jurisprudential development. The Natural Law Reader is a wide-ranging and representative series of readings deriving from the classical natural law tradition, following its development and applications in the modern world. Drawing principally upon the metaphysical and ethical categories first put forth by Aristotle and championed by Aquinas and others, this set of readings takes us into metaphysics, jurisprudence, politics, and ethics, demonstrating the tradition's historical continuity and contemporary relevance. While the first part of the book introduces the reader to that historical development, the latter part vindicates the natural law tradition's relevance to current ethical, political, and jurisprudential discourse. Specific areas of public policy are considered in a final series of readings. Scholarly and thought-provoking, The Natural Law Reader offers prescient insights into a tradition that remains one of the most resolute foundations of Western civilization.

The natural law tradition is an enduring one that has been at the very heart of Western ethical, political, and jurisprudential development.

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