Natural law
noun 1.
an ethical belief or system of beliefs supposed to be inherent in human nature and discoverable by reason rather than revelation
2. a nonlogically necessary truth; law of nature See also nomological (sense 2) 3.
the philosophical doctrine that the authority of the legal system or of certain laws derives from their justifiability by reason, and indeed that a legal system which cannot be so justified has no authority
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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natural-law in Culture
natural law definition
The doctrine that human affairs should be governed by ethical principles that are part of the very nature of things and that can be understood by reason. The first two paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence contain a clear statement of the doctrine.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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