Jurisprudence
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Jurisprudence, also known as legal theory or legal science, is the philosophy of law. As a field of knowledge, it applies philosophical methods to legal questions, such as what the law is or how it ou
A gavel and court minutes from 1861–1862, symbolic of legal decisions
Natural law
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Natural law is a philosophical and legal theory that posits the existence of inherent laws derived from nature and universal moral principles that are discoverable through reason. In ethics, natural l
Jurisprudence
…Aristotle (384–322 BCE), and St Augustine (354–430 CE), who wrote broadly on moral and political philosophy. Among the oldest conceptions of law are natural law theories, instrumental theories of law, and law as reflective of social norms and custom. Contemporary mainstream academic jurisprudence traces its origin to…
Thomas Aquinas, whose integration of Aristotelian philosophy with Christian theology established the foundational principles of natural law, influencing Western concepts of justice and ethics
Plato (left) and Aristotle (right), a detail of The School of Athens, a fresco by Raphael
Marcus Tullius Cicero
Thomas Hobbes