Concept
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Natural law
Concept · 2 readings
Natural-law arguments connect reason, human goods and limits on conduct. Aquinas and Locke give distinct accounts, and neither an inclination nor an existing government establishes by itself what is right.
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Guided course · Module 6 · Lesson 33
Reasoning across faith and nature
Aquinas answers a question by setting out objections, giving his answer and replying to each. The lesson follows one such question, then examines the limits of proof from effects and the place of practical reasoning in natural law.
Guided course · Module 9 · Lesson 52
Why should anyone obey a government?
Hobbes and Locke disagree about the grounds and limits of political authority. A shared case tests their accounts of protection, consent, rights and resistance.