The Disintegration of Natural Law Theory: Aquinas to Finnis

328 Pages·1997·17.92 MB·English

by  Pauline Westerman

THE DISINTEGRATION
OF NATURAL LAW THEORY
BRILL’S STUDIES
IN
INTELLECTUAL HISTORY
General Editor
A.J. Vanderjagt, University of Groningen
Editorial Board
M. Colish, Oberlin College
J.I. Israel, University College, London
J.D. North, University of Groningen
H.A. O berman, University of Arizona, Tucson
R.H. Popkin, Washington University, St. Louis-UCLA
VOLUME 84
/68
' ' ‘
THE DISINTEGRATION
OF NATURAL LAW THEORY
Aquinas to Firnis
BY
PAULINE C. WESTERMAN
-X
s
^68*‘
BRILL
LEIDEN · NEW YORK · KÖLN
1998
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Westerman, Pauline.
The disintegration of natural law theory : Aquinas to Finnis / by
Pauline Westerman.
p. cm. — (BiilPs studies in intellectual history ; v. 84)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 9004109994 (cloth : alk. paper)
1. Natural law—History. I. Title. II. Series.
K415.W47 1997
340*. 112—dc21 97-38234
CIP
Die Deutsche Bibliothek - CIP-Einheitsaufiiahme
Westerman, Pauline:
The disintegration of natural law theory : Aquinas to finnis / by
Pauline Westerman. - Leiden ; New York ; Köln : Brill, 1997
(Brill’s studies in intellectual history ; Vol. 84)
ISBN 90-04-10999-4
ISSN 0920-8607
ISBN 90 04 10999 4
© Copyright 1998 by Koninklijke Brill, Leiden, The Netherlands
AU rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in
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Fees are subject to change.
PRINTED IN THE NETHERLANDS
To my father Thé Westerman

CONTENTS
Acknowledgements....................................................................................xi
Abbreviations...................................................................................... xiii
Introduction....................... 1
PARTI
Chapter I: Aquinas’s variations on a divine them e..............................21
1. Conflicting interpretations............................................................23
2. Exemplar of divine wisdom.........................................................26
3. The divine style applied...............................................................30
4. The role of nature..........................................................................33
5. Fullness of being..........................................................................36
6. Desired and desirable.....................................................................40
7. Conclusion......................................................................................46
Chapter II: Aquinas’s awareness of contingency.................................49
1. Syrtderesis: the angel’s eye .........................................................50
2. Unquestionable parameters .........................................................51
3. The scope of certainty..................................................................54
4. The movement of reason...............................................................57
5. Prudentia: undemonstrable wisdom ...........................................61
6. Deduction and determination......................................................65
7. The separation of law and morals ..............................................68
8. Conclusion......................................................................................70
PARTII
Chapter III: Suarez’s distinction between creation and legislation . 77
1. A narrower concept of law .........................................................80
2. Eternal law ......................................................................................82
3. First fissures...................................................................................86
4. The script of natural law ...............................................................89
5. The silence of rational nature......................................................91
6. The ineffectiveness of rational judgement..................................95
7. Suârez’s middle-course..................................................................98
viii CONTENTS
8. Human nature...........................................................................101
9. Conclusion................................................................................ 102
Chapter IV: The limits of Suarez’s natural law theory.................105
1. The certainty of conclusions....................................................105
2. Implied conditions ..................................................................107
3. Human pow er...........................................................................Ill
4. Liberty and property...................................................................114
5. Reason plus will............................................................................118
6. The ius gentium........................................................................121
7. Custom..........................................................................................123
8. Conclusion................................................................................ 125
Chapter V: Grotius’s humanisation of natural law .......................129
1. De Jure Praedae: the formal structure of law ........................132
2. The scepticism of the JP .............................................................134
3. The inadequacy of the JP ..........................................................137
4. Human nature...............................................................................139
5. Divine law ....................................................................................142
6. A comparison with Aquinas and Vazquez............................. 145
7. The idealisation of human nature...............................................148
8. Tensions in ‘human nature’ .......................................................152
9. Conclusion................................................................................ 155
Chapter VI: Grotius’s shift from natural law to natural rights . . 157
1. The limited scope of natural law ................................................158
2. The crucial role of consent .....................................................161
3. The artificial state.........................................................................163
4. Implied consent........................................................................ 166
5. International pacts.........................................................................168
6. The right to wage w ar................................................................170
7. Perfect rights ..............................................................................173
8. The superfluity of a legislator................................................. 176
9. Conclusion....................................................................................179
Chapter VII: Pufendorf’s divine conductor .....................................181
1. Weak and wicked.........................................................................184
2. The orchestra of mankind..........................................................187
3. Law versus rights.........................................................................190
4. Moral entities ..............................................................................193
CONTENTS IX
5. Unbridled nature .........................................................................196
6. The sovereign legislator.............................................................198
7. The two faces of man ................................................................201
8. Conclusion....................................................................................203
Chapter VIII: Pufendorf s reconstruction of rationality...............205
1. The different roles of man............................ 205
2. The state of nature......................................................................209
3. Reverse engineering ...................................................................211
4. Agreements .................................................................................216
5. The social contract.....................................................................219
6. The lack of a ius gentium..........................................................221
7. Conclusion....................................................................................224
PART III
Chapter IX: Finnis’s natural law without nature .............................231
1. The ambitions of modem natural law theory.......................234
2. A moral methodology ................................................................237
3. Selection of the basic goods.......................................................239
4. The self-evidence of the basic goods.........................................242
5. The incommensurability of the basic goods.............................244
6. The irrelevance of nature ..........................................................247
7. Practical reason curtailed ..........................................................250
8. The hidden role of nature..........................................................253
9. Conclusion....................................................................................256
Chapter X: Finnis’s decisionism..........................................................259
1. Ideals and ideal-types...................................................................259
2. The moral and technical aspects of law ...................................262
3. Determination and deduction....................................................265
4. The Rule of Law and the common good ................................268
5. Rights and the common good.....................................................271
6. Decisionism .................................................................................274
7. Civil obedience ...........................................................................278
8. Conclusion....................................................................................282
Epilogue..................................................................................................287
References...............................................................................................299
Index........................................................................................................307