Natural Law and the Just Society

2021-03

Author: Joseph Milne

Publisher: Shepheard-Walwyn Publishers

ISBN: 0856835315

Category:

Page: 200

View: 781

Download BOOK »

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.

Qur'an and the Just Society

2017-10-23

Author: Ramon Harvey

Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

ISBN: 9781474417198

Category: Religion

Page: 248

View: 943

Download BOOK »

Utilising a pioneering theological and hermeneutic framework adapted from both classical Muslim literature and contemporary academic studies of the Qur'an, Ramon Harvey explores the underlying principles of its system of social justice.

International Law and Religion

2017-08-15

Author: Martti Koskenniemi

Publisher: Oxford University Press

ISBN: 9780192528438

Category: Law

Page: 480

View: 135

Download BOOK »

This books maps out the territory of international law and religion challenging received traditions in fundamental aspects. On the one hand, the connection of international law and religion has been little explored. On the other, most of current research on international legal thought presents international law as the very victory of secularization. By questioning that narrative of secularization this book approaches these traditions from a new perspective. From the Middle Ages' early conceptualizations of rights and law to contemporary political theory, the chapters bring to life debates concerning the interaction of the meaning of the legal and the sacred. The contributors approach their chapters from an array of different backgrounds and perspectives but with the common objective of investigating the mutually shaping relationship of religion and law. The collaborative endeavour that this volume offers makes available substantial knowledge on the question of international law and religion.

Natural Law and Religious Freedom

2017-07-20

Author: J. Daryl Charles

Publisher: Routledge

ISBN: 9781317089735

Category: Religion

Page: 290

View: 916

Download BOOK »

Every successive generation finds fresh reasons for the study of natural law. Current interest in the natural law may well be due to a pervasive moral pessimism in the Western cultural context and wider contemporary geopolitical challenges. Those geopolitical challenges result from two significant and worrisome global developments – unprecedented violent persecution of religious minorities on several continents and a growing climate of secular hostility toward religious faith in Western societies. Natural Law and Religious Freedom aims to address what is relatively absent from the literature by demonstrating the importance of natural law ethics in both establishing and preserving basic human rights, of which religious freedom has pride of place. Probing contemporary challenges to natural law thinking that are both internal and external to religious faith, and examining the character and constitution of natural law ethics, Natural Law and Religious Freedom will be of interest to theologians, ethicists and philosophers as well as policy analysts, politicians and activists who are concerned to anchor religious freedom and human rights policy considerations in an enduring way.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau and the 'Well-Ordered Society'

1988

Author: Maurizio Viroli

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

ISBN: 0521531381

Category: History

Page: 260

View: 777

Download BOOK »

This book studies a central but hitherto neglected aspect of Rousseau's political thought: the concept of social order and its implications for the ideal society which he envisages. The antithesis between order and disorder is a fundamental theme in Rousseau's work, and the author takes it as the basis for this study. In contrast with a widely held interpretation of Rousseau's philosophy, Professor Viroli argues that natural and political order are by no means the same for Rousseau. He explores the differences and interrelations between the different types of order which Rousseau describes, and shows how the philosopher constructed his final doctrine of the just society, which can be based only on every citizen's voluntary and knowing acceptance of the social contract and on the promotion of virtue above ambition. The author also shows the extent of Rousseau's debt to the republican tradition, and above all to Machiavelli, and revises the image of Rousseau as a disciple of the natural-law school.

St. Paul, the Natural Law, and Contemporary Legal Theory

2012

Author: Jane Adolphe

Publisher: Lexington Books

ISBN: 9780739168578

Category: Bible

Page: 254

View: 631

Download BOOK »

St. Paul, the Natural Law, and Contemporary Legal Theory grew out of the Year of St. Paul (2008-2009) proclaimed by Pope Benedict XVI. It brings together the insights of Scripture scholars, theologians, philosophers and law professors on the ongoing importance of the natural l...

Edmund Burke and the Natural Law

2017-09-29

Author: Peter Stanlis

Publisher: Routledge

ISBN: 9781351312264

Category: Political Science

Page: 303

View: 532

Download BOOK »

Today the idea of natural law as the basic ingredient in moral, legal, and political thought presents a challenge not faced for almost two hundred years. On the surface, there would appear to be little room in the contemporary world for a widespread belief in natural law. The basic philosophies of the opposition--the rationalism of the philosophes, the utilitarianism of Bentham, the materialism of Marx--appear to have made prior philosophies irrelevant. Yet these newer philosophies themselves have been overtaken by disillusionment born of conflicts between "might" and "right." Many thoughtful people who were loyal to secular belief have become dissatisfied with the lack of normative principles and have turned once more to natural law. This first book-length study of Edmund Burke and his philosophy, originally published in 1958, explores this intellectual giant's relationship to, and belief in, the natural law. It has long been thought that Edmund Burke was an enemy of the natural law, and was a proponent of conservative utilitarianism. Peter J. Stanlis shows that, on the contrary, Burke was one of the most eloquent and profound defenders of natural law morality and politics in Western civilization. A philosopher in the classical tradition of Aristotle and Cicero, and in the Scholastic tradition of Aquinas, Burke appealed to natural law in the political problems he encountered in American, Irish, Indian, and British affairs, and in reaction to the French Revolution. This book is as relevant today as it was when it was first published, and will be mandatory reading for students of philosophy, political science, law, and history.

Political Thinking, Political Theory, and Civil Society

2016-07-01

Author: Steven M. DeLue

Publisher: Routledge

ISBN: 9781317243656

Category: Political Science

Page: 734

View: 507

Download BOOK »

This comprehensive overview of the Western tradition of political thought approaches concepts with the aim of helping readers develop their own political thinking and critical thinking skills. This text is uniquely organized around the theme of civil society — what is the nature of a civil society? why is it important? — that will engage students and help make the material relevant. Major thinkers discussed in the text are explored not only with the goal of understanding their views, but also with an interest in understanding the relationship of their ideas to the notion of a civil society. DeLue and Dale contend that a civil society is important for securing the way of life that most of us value and want to preserve, a way of life that allows people to live freely and place significance on their own lives. New to the Fourth Edition Connects traditional political theory to contemporary challenges to civil society including new coverage of US electoral politics, the Black Lives Matter movement, Citizens United, and Robert Putnam’s view of the decline of social support systems. Updates the coverage of feminism and feminist thinkers, including coverage of gay marriage, in the context of civil society. Expands coverage of global civil society, especially in terms of contemporary challenges posed by ISIS, the failure of the Arab Spring, and ongoing humanitarian crises in Syria, Iran, and beyond.

Degrees of Freedom

2018-02-06

Author: Edwin Van de Haar

Publisher: Routledge

ISBN: 9781351523080

Category:

Page: 163

View: 950

Download BOOK »

Liberalism has been the leading political theory of the past three hundred years and, by far, the most dominant ideology. Many think tanks are associated with liberal ideas, and most Western countries are considered liberal democracies. But does liberalism really cover the wide range of political ideas found in Western civilization? Degrees of Freedom examines liberalism's universal claims and explains how liberal thinkers formulated insights that apply to all aspects of politics. It also contrasts liberalism and conservatism. Edwin van de Haar divides liberalism into three main variants: classical liberalism, social liberalism, and libertarianism. Without claiming that this is the only possible categorization of liberalism, he argues that this subdivision is the most comprehensible way out of liberal confusion. He explores how these forms of liberalism, found in popular parlance, relate to liberal political theory and ideology. Domestic politics and international relations are presented as a whole, in the firm belief that one cannot meaningfully present an overview of any tradition in political theory by stopping at national borders.

Christianity and Natural Law

2017-07-20

Author: Norman Doe

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

ISBN: 9781316949566

Category: Law

Page:

View: 220

Download BOOK »

Historically, natural law has played a pivotal role in Christian approaches to the law, and a contested role in legal philosophy generally. However, comparative study of natural law across global Christian traditions is largely neglected. This book provides not only the history of natural law ideas across mainstream Christian traditions worldwide, but also an ecumenical comparison of the contemporary natural law positions of different traditions. Its focus is not solely theoretical: it tests the practical utility of natural law by exploring its use in the legal systems of the churches studied. Alongside analysis of the assumptions underlying the concept, it also proposes a jurisprudence of Christian law itself. With chapters written by distinguished lawyers and theologians across the world, this book is designed for those studying and teaching law or theology, those who practice and study ecumenism, and those involved in the practice of church law.

Peace Treaties and International Law in European History

2004-08-19

Author: Randall Lesaffer

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

ISBN: 9781139453783

Category: Law

Page: 481

View: 496

Download BOOK »

In the formation of the modern law of nations, peace treaties played a pivotal role. Many basic principles and rules that governed and still govern relations between states were introduced and elaborated in the great peace treaties from the Renaissance onwards. Nevertheless, until recently few scholars have studied these primary sources of the law of nations from a juridical perspective. In this edited collection, specialists from all over Europe, including legal and diplomatic historians, international lawyers and an International Relations theorist, analyse peace treaty practice from the late fifteenth century to the Peace of Versailles of 1919. Important emphasis is given to the doctrinal debate about peace treaties and the influence of older, Roman and medieval concepts on modern practices. This book goes back further in time beyond the epochal Peace of Treaties of Westphalia of 1648 and this broader perspective allows for a reassessment of the role of the sovereign state in the modern international legal order.

Social Justice and the Welfare State in Central and Eastern Europe

2000

Author: Demetrius S. Iatridis

Publisher: Greenwood Publishing Group

ISBN: 0275967913

Category: Social Science

Page: 278

View: 858

Download BOOK »

With the collapse of the Eastern Bloc, Central and Eastern European states have had to confront fundamental changes in economic, social, and governmental structures. So far, many of these countries in transition from a command to a market-based system have experienced rapid deterioration of socioeconomic conditions and standards of living. Although there have been successes in some areas, such as greater political and consumer choices, the overall situation has reached crisis proportions, as evidenced by increased unemployment, crime, and family disorganization. The essays in this collection address significant issues dealing with the frameworks of social justice and equality, policies for families and women, implications for the welfare state, and the impact on health care. As such, the collection is invaluable for all scholars and researchers involved with contemporary Central and Eastern European public policy and social conditions.

Full Books