Knowledge (XXG)

An unjust law is no law at all

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196:, a possible cognate for "right" in English. This natural law foundation establishes rules for what is a "law" or "truth", a form of order so high that even the gods themselves must obey or be in the wrong. They do not govern áąšta, but manifest it through their ordinances and retributions, their rewards and punishments. They don't "govern" it; they serve it as agents and ministers. 303: 259:
Norman Kretzmann, Lex Iniusta Non Est Lex: Laws on Trial in Aquinas' Court of Conscience, 33 Am. J. Juris. 99 (1988). Thomas Aquinas,
109:. He asks "do man-made laws have to be obeyed?" His answer is no; a law only need to be obeyed if it is legitimate in three ways: 332: 232: 141: 169: 337: 205: 99:; his conclusion was that it is ultimately a problem caused by people departing from good or just behavior. 65:
Throughout history, philosophical and religious writers have often objected to unjust laws. For example, in
165: 35: 132:
Aquinas says that the disobedience should not itself cause harm or lead people into evil. He refers to
308: 273: 146: 177: 88: 189: 106: 105:
exhaustively examines the legitimacy of man-made laws and whether they should be obeyed, in
96: 102: 23: 176:
were unjust and should be eschewed, in establishing his rationale for the goodness of
326: 173: 315: 50: 46: 39: 31: 311:, Seattle Pacific University, U.S. and Brian Bix, University of Minnesota, U.S. 149:
also called into question the legitimacy of any law that was unjust. He says:
54: 192:, the idea that a rule is not a "true law" unless it is based on the idea of 66: 223:
Brian Bix, "Jurisprudence: Theory and Context", (Sweet&Maxwell 2009) 70
193: 133: 91:
said "for I think a law that is not just, is not actually a law" ("
316:
Philosophical theory and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
136:
establishing that it is always lawful to avoid oppression.
122:
It must be in the scope of the authority making the law.
172:, referred to both Augustine and Aquinas, saying that 38:
unless it is good and right. It has become a standard
93:
nam mihi lex esse non videtur, quae justa non fuerit
83:
and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people
274:"Letter from a Birmingham Jail [King, Jr.]" 128:And its burden should be equal and apply to all. 151: 71: 8: 234:The Encyclopedia of language and linguistics 216: 159:and obey them until we have succeeded, 77:to those who issue oppressive decrees, 45:This view is strongly associated with 34:, acknowledging that authority is not 161:or shall we transgress them at once?” 7: 116:The law must be for the common good. 157:or shall we endeavor to amend them, 79:to deprive the poor of their rights 95:"). He wrote this when discussing 73:Woe to those who make unjust laws, 14: 155:shall we be content to obey them, 30:) is an expression in support of 20:An unjust law is no law at all 1: 248:De libero arbitrio voluntatis 170:Letter from Birmingham Jail 354: 87:In the fourth century AD, 250:, b. 1, s. 5., 1.5.11.33 333:Latin legal terminology 206:History of human rights 28:lex iniusta non est lex 319:, William Sweet (ed.). 163: 85: 27: 263:I-II, q. 96, a. 4, c. 166:Martin Luther King Jr 49:theorists, including 278:www.africa.upenn.edu 153:“Unjust laws exist: 309:Kenneth Einar Himma 147:Henry David Thoreau 178:civil disobedience 142:Civil Disobedience 89:Augustine of Hippo 42:around the world. 338:Legal terminology 290:Day (1982:29–30). 190:Indian philosophy 16:Latin legal maxim 345: 304:Law and Morality 291: 288: 282: 281: 270: 264: 261:Summa Theologiae 257: 251: 244: 238: 230: 224: 221: 107:Summa Theologica 353: 352: 348: 347: 346: 344: 343: 342: 323: 322: 299: 294: 289: 285: 272: 271: 267: 258: 254: 246:St. Augustine, 245: 241: 231: 227: 222: 218: 214: 202: 186: 160: 158: 156: 154: 97:why evil exists 80: 78: 74: 63: 17: 12: 11: 5: 351: 349: 341: 340: 335: 325: 324: 321: 320: 312: 298: 295: 293: 292: 283: 265: 252: 239: 225: 215: 213: 210: 209: 208: 201: 198: 185: 182: 130: 129: 123: 117: 103:Thomas Aquinas 62: 59: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 350: 339: 336: 334: 331: 330: 328: 318: 317: 313: 310: 306: 305: 301: 300: 296: 287: 284: 279: 275: 269: 266: 262: 256: 253: 249: 243: 240: 237: 235: 229: 226: 220: 217: 211: 207: 204: 203: 199: 197: 195: 191: 183: 181: 179: 175: 174:Jim Crow laws 171: 167: 162: 150: 148: 144: 143: 137: 135: 127: 124: 121: 118: 115: 112: 111: 110: 108: 104: 100: 98: 94: 90: 84: 81: 75: 70: 68: 60: 58: 56: 52: 48: 43: 41: 37: 33: 29: 25: 21: 314: 307:, Edited by 302: 286: 277: 268: 260: 255: 247: 242: 233: 228: 219: 187: 164: 152: 140: 138: 131: 125: 119: 114:The Purpose: 113: 101: 92: 86: 82: 76: 72: 64: 44: 19: 18: 120:The Author: 51:John Finnis 47:natural law 40:legal maxim 32:natural law 327:Categories 236:, Volume 4 212:References 55:Lon Fuller 36:legitimate 126:The Form: 67:Isaiah 10 200:See also 297:Sources 61:History 134:Isaiah 184:India 168:, in 24:Latin 53:and 194:Ṛta 188:In 139:In 329:: 276:. 180:. 145:, 69:: 57:. 26:: 280:. 22:(

Index

Latin
natural law
legitimate
legal maxim
natural law
John Finnis
Lon Fuller
Isaiah 10
Augustine of Hippo
why evil exists
Thomas Aquinas
Summa Theologica
Isaiah
Civil Disobedience
Henry David Thoreau
Martin Luther King Jr
Letter from Birmingham Jail
Jim Crow laws
civil disobedience
Indian philosophy
áąšta
History of human rights
The Encyclopedia of language and linguistics, Volume 4
"Letter from a Birmingham Jail [King, Jr.]"
Law and Morality
Kenneth Einar Himma
Philosophical theory and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Categories
Latin legal terminology
Legal terminology

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