The Thomistic Institute

What Makes Laws Just? An Introduction to the Natural Law Tradition I Fr. Dominic Legge, O.P.

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Aug 4, 2025
Fr. Dominic Legge is the Director of the Thomistic Institute and an Associate Professor in Systematic Theology, with a rich background in law and theology. He delves into the intricate relationship between justice and law, challenging legal positivism by highlighting the importance of natural law as envisioned by Thomas Aquinas. He explains justice as a relational virtue that affirms human equality, and explores how laws can promote the common good. Engagingly, he illustrates how moral responsibilities underpin effective legislation, making profound connections to contemporary society.
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INSIGHT

Justice as Giving What Is Due

  • Justice involves giving each person what is due by a constant, perpetual will.
  • It regulates our relations with others and is based on an objective standard outside the individual.
ANECDOTE

Nuremberg Trials Show Unjust Laws

  • The Nuremberg trials convicted officials whose acts were lawful under Nazi law but violated higher principles.
  • This shows that laws enacted by authority can still be fundamentally unjust.
ANECDOTE

MLK's Letter on Unjust Laws

  • Martin Luther King argued laws upholding racial segregation were unjust though legally enacted.
  • He appealed to a higher moral law beyond the prevailing legal system and constitutional norms.
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