Aristotle and natural law / Tony Burns.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Burns, Tony, 1953-

Series:

Continuum studies in ancient philosophy

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Aristotle.

Natural law--Philosophy.

Natural law.

Philosophy.

Physical Description:

217 pages ; 25 cm.

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Continuum, [2011]

Summary:

Aristotle and Natural Law lays out a new theoretical approach which distinguishes between the notions of 'interpretation,' 'appropriation,' 'negotiation' and 'reconstruction' of the meaning of texts and their component concepts. These categories are deployed in an examination of the role which the concept of natural law takes on for Aristotle in a number of his key texts. The book argues that Aristotle appropriated the concept of natural law, first formulated by the defenders of naturalism in the 'nature versus convention debate' in classical Athens. Thereby he contributed to the emergence and historical evolution of the meaning of one of the most important concepts in the lexicon of Western political thought. Aristotle and Natural Law argues that Aristotle's ethics is best seen as a certain type of natural law theory which does not allow for the possibility that individuals might appeal to natural law in order to criticize existing laws and institutions. Rather its function is to provide legitimacy and philosophical justification for such laws and conventions from the standpoint of Aristotle's metaphysics. Book jacket.

Contents:

Natural law in Aristotle's Nicomachean ethics

Natural law in The politics

Natural law in Aristotle's rhetoric

Aristotle and the nature versus convention debate.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781847065551

1847065554

OCLC:

606768119