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Introduction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 March 2019

Judith Hahn
Affiliation:
Ruhr-Universität, Bochum, Germany
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Summary

In modernity’s debates on legal theory, natural law is not widely accepted. The term nature as it appears in natural law arguments does not correspond with the term used in modern sciences, as it understands nature to be a source of normativity. The normative content of nature is open to discussion and debate. Although there are fundamental human goods (like life, caring for offspring, property and religiosity), the normative significance of which is affirmed in most cultures, there is no consent on the normative consequences derived from them. Approaches of natural law are therefore always plural. The content of the natural “ought” is a “matter of faith”, depending on philosophical, ethical, and religious beliefs and predispositions. It is possible to explain the plurality of natural laws by doubting that an objective natural normativity exists. It can also be explained as a problem of perceiving the existing natural normativity. The Christian approach to natural law believes in the existence of the naturally right, which is assumed as given by God the creator. Yet, as with all human thought, Christian thinking is also challenged with perceiving natural law.
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Church Law in Modernity
Toward a Theory of Canon Law between Nature and Culture
, pp. 1 - 14
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2019

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  • Introduction
  • Judith Hahn, Ruhr-Universität, Bochum, Germany
  • Book: Church Law in Modernity
  • Online publication: 15 March 2019
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108673525.002
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  • Introduction
  • Judith Hahn, Ruhr-Universität, Bochum, Germany
  • Book: Church Law in Modernity
  • Online publication: 15 March 2019
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108673525.002
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Introduction
  • Judith Hahn, Ruhr-Universität, Bochum, Germany
  • Book: Church Law in Modernity
  • Online publication: 15 March 2019
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108673525.002
Available formats
×