natural law
26
6.5
- noun
- /ˈnæʧərəl lɔ/
- Formal
:
ley natural
- The principles of natural law suggest that all humans have certain rights that cannot be taken away.
- natural law theorist
- natural law theory
- natural law tradition
They understood man can only wander so far from natural law before shit hits the fan.
- They understood man can only wander so far from natural law before shit hits the fan.
- We have an inalienable right like the Declaration of Independence, the the natural law.
- The first thing was that libertarians who believe in natural rights need to need to also be more serious about natural law ethics.
- And this is singularly crystallized in natural law.
- This is one of the origins of the idea in the West of natural law, right?
Examples
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People sometimes ask: Is natural law about rules or virtues?
Academic text (2008) -
We do not tamper with natural law.
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You talked about natural rights, natural law, where where our rights come from.
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And to live within the natural law.
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Our foundations are built on natural law.
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Art should only ever reflect the eternal values and the natural laws, especially these days.
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So in other words, science is about natural law and religion is about ethics, how to be a good person, how to go to heaven.
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Natural law was born in the mind of the Heavenly Father.
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Locke also pointed out that natural law indicated all men are created equal.
Academic text (1996) -
It is governed by a moral law or a natural law that dictates peace and sociability.
Synonyms
326
1.0
A rule thought to be part of human nature and right for everyone
1
8.4
A moral rule that is more important than rules made by the government
Antonyms
How Binding
Surface Forms
Morphology
The parts 'natural' and 'law' give a clear clue — a rule that comes from nature — so a B1 learner would grasp a general idea of an inherent or non‑artificial rule. However, the MWE denotes a specific philosophical/legal doctrine (inherent moral or universal principles) and can be confused with scientific 'laws of nature' or environmental laws, so full comprehension usually requires prior exposure or background knowledge.
Etymology
Natural law comes from an old idea that some rules are found in nature itself: people saw natural as 'from nature' and law as a rule, as if nature had written rules for how people should behave. That's why natural law today means rules or 'rights' thought to be true for everyone, not only laws made by governments.