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Duke, George --- "Aristotle as natural law theorist" [2019] ELECD 2202; in Crowe, Jonathan; Lee, Y. Constance (eds), "Research Handbook on Natural Law Theory" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2019) 13

Book Title: Research Handbook on Natural Law Theory

Editor(s): Crowe, Jonathan; Lee, Y. Constance

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

Section: Chapter 2

Section Title: Aristotle as natural law theorist

Author(s): Duke, George

Number of pages: 18

Abstract/Description:

George Duke’s chapter examines the question of whether Aristotle is properly regarded as a natural law theorist. He discusses three claims about law historically associated with the natural law tradition: the existence and content of law depends on a divine normative foundation; the existence and content of law depends on a natural normative foundation; and the existence and content of law depends on a rational normative foundation. Duke provides a detailed and nuanced discussion of whether Aristotle should be understood as endorsing any of these propositions. He concludes that, while Aristotle does not endorse the first claim, he does endorse the second and third claims (albeit in a qualified sense).