"I had not informed my conscience neither suddenly nor slightly,
but by long leisure and diligent search". (St. Thomas More)

Monday, July 13, 2015

Thomas Aquinas on Human Law and Natural Law



Our Saint, Thomas More, was no doubt familiar with the following from St. Thomas Aquinas:

"Human law is law inasmuch as it is in conformity with right reason and thus derives from the eternal law. But when a law is contrary to reason, it is called an unjust law; but in this case it ceases to be a law and becomes instead an act of violence.” (Summa theologiae, I-II, q. 93, a. 3, ad 2) 
“Every law made by man can be called a law insofar as it derives from the natural law. But if it is somehow opposed to the natural law, then it is not really a law but rather a corruption of the law.” (Summa theologiae, I-II, q. 95, a. 2)

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