Today, as in the past, we ought to remind ourselves that…
““Today, as in the past, we ought to remind ourselves that the true natural law is not a mere congeries of appetites, and that it is not from the vagrant musings of the hour's judges that the natural law derives its high authority. . . . The Catholic tradition of natural law, to borrow a phrase from Sir Ernest Barker, holds that "law--in the sense of last resort--is somehow above lawmaking." This understanding, in effect, still prevails among many Americans, not all of them Catholics. They agree with Justice Frankfurter that natural law is "what sensible and right-minded men do every day." Yet often the public's apprehension of the teachings of natural law is much decayed, in part because of the total secularization of instruction in public schools. . . . Human nature is not vulpine nature, leonine nature, or serpentine nature. Natural law is bound up with the concept of the dignity of man, and with the experience of humankind ever since the beginning of social community.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Natural law is a timeless moral order rooted in human dignity, not merely social opinion.
In simple terms: Moral truth is constant, beyond popular views.
Key Takeaway
Uphold universal principles.
Themes
philosophy
law
ethics
Mood
thoughtful
serious
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- legal education
- public policy
- community building
- personal decision making
Key Concepts
human dignity
moral realism
social contract
Questions to Reflect On
- What responsibilities arise from recognizing inherent human worth?
- How do we balance tradition with progress?
A Different Perspective
Modern societies may reject absolute standards.