Natural Law Today: The Present State of the Perennial Philosophy

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Natural Law Today: The Present State of the Perennial Philosophy explains and defends various aspects of traditional natural law ethical theory, which is rooted in a broad understanding of human nature. Some of the issues touched upon include the relation of natural law to speculative reason and human ends (teleology), the relationship between natural law and natural theology, the so-called naturalistic fallacy (deriving ought from is), and the scope of natural knowledge of the precepts of the natural law, as well as possible limits on it. It also takes up certain historical and contemporary questions, such as the various stances of Protestant thinkers toward natural law, the place of natural law in contemporary U.S. legal thought, and the relationship between natural law and liberal political thought more generally. It brings together a number of the leading exponents of a more traditional or classical form of natural law thought, who claim to root their arguments within the broader philosophy of Thomas Aquinas more deeply than other major representatives of the natural law tradition today.

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With essays by some of the best writers on the natural law, including J. Budziszewski, Steven Long, Hadley Harkes, Christopher Wolfe, and one of the last essays written by the late, great Ralph McInerny (with the very characteristic title, A Natural Lawman at the O.K. Corral), this volume is a superb resource and that unique accomplishment in modern publishing: a collection of essays that fits together, makes a coherent argument, and is not filled with essays you dont want. Editors Brust and Wolfe have done a nice piece of work here bringing these essays together. -- Randall B. Smith, University of St. Thomas, Houston
The editors of Natural Law Today have done us a great service by crafting a volume containing many of the most luminous authorities on natural law. The contributions by Pakaluk, Budziszewki, and Arkes are particularly enlightening. One chapter alone, the essay by the late, great Ralph McInerny, is well worth the price of the volume. No student of the natural law, indeed no professor of the natural law, can afford to miss this book. -- Christopher Kaczor, Loyola Marymount University
An extraordinarily well designed collection of essays, Natural Law Today: The Present State of the Perennial Philosophy covers the key aspects of the philosophy of natural law such as metaphysics and human nature, moral universalism and rational cogency, faith and reason, and the issue of natural rights and liberal political order. Led by the stellar authorities on natural law such as Arkes, McInerny, Budziszewski and Wolfe, the authors are uniformly outstanding in their contributions. This book deserves to become the standard work for a clear and comprehensive account of natural law. -- John P. Hittinger, University of St. Thomas, Houston

Author Bio

Steven Brust is assistant professor of political science at Eastern New Mexico University.

Christopher Wolfe is professor of politics at the University of Dallas.