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Natural Law In Political Philosophy: Hobbes, Locke And Rosseau




Swaroopa Parthasarathi, Christ (Deemed to be) University

ABSTRACT

The traditional birth view of law holds that it is formulated by legislators, or must be laid down through a meticulous process. However, it is something which is imbibed in all of us from birth, regardless of one’s beliefs and external environment. Natural law is defined as a theory which is based on moral values and a universal acceptance of what is right and wrong11. Human conduct is based on this system, and although a solid framework is absent, it is not taught but rather inherent in nature. It is a highly abstract and vague field, subject to criticism and conflicting views and interpretations. Political philosophy, on the other hand, is the philosophical study of governments, addressing questions about its scope, nature and legitimacy. The parallel between the two can be drawn by the theory that natural law is intertwined with political philosophy, in the sense that it is a justice system common to all human beings derived from nature rather than positive law. Philosophers like Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and Jean- Jacques Rousseau possess different speculations and have given birth to various versions of the same theory. The common ground between all of these theories is that, all of them believe that natural law has some element of divinity. While one thinker is of the opinion that natural law is only divinity, the other feels that God is only a small part of it. However, the balance is found in the common thread that divinity is a component of natural law. The methodology used is doctrinal research.

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Indian Journal of Law and Legal Research

Abbreviation: IJLLR

ISSN: 2582-8878

Website: www.ijllr.com

Accessibility: Open Access

License: Creative Commons 4.0

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