Philosophical Challenges and Prospects for Natural Law Foundations of Human Rights

Handbook (chapter)

Crowe, Jonathan. 2022. "Philosophical Challenges and Prospects for Natural Law Foundations of Human Rights." Angier, T.om, Benson, Iain and Retter, Mark (ed.) The Cambridge Handbook of Natural Law and Human Rights. United Kingdom. Cambridge University Press. pp. 485-499
Chapter Title

Philosophical Challenges and Prospects for Natural Law Foundations of Human Rights

Book Chapter CategoryHandbook (chapter)
ERA Publisher ID1418
Book TitleThe Cambridge Handbook of Natural Law and Human Rights
AuthorsCrowe, Jonathan
EditorsAngier, T.om, Benson, Iain and Retter, Mark
Page Range485-499
SeriesCambridge Law Handbooks
Chapter Number32
Number of Pages15
Year2022
PublisherCambridge University Press
Place of PublicationUnited Kingdom
ISBN9781108939225
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108939225.039
Web Address (URL)https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/cambridge-handbook-of-natural-law-and-human-rights/philosophical-challenges-and-prospects-for-natural-law-foundations-of-human-rights/F9EBD5BC1195D12F89D8B8E44915F410
Abstract

This chapter explores some philosophical quandaries facing the natural law outlook, with particular emphasis on the prospects for a natural law account of human rights. The chapter begins by considering challenges to natural law’s reliance on the notion of human nature. It then examines the role of time in natural law theories, focusing on the question of whether natural law changes. Next, the chapter looks at the place of rights in the natural law tradition, critically discussing the suggestion that the notion of rights is at odds with the core themes of the natural law outlook, before considering what natural law has to offer to human rights theory. Finally, I turn to the place of God within natural law theories, raising the issue of whether natural law assumes a theistic worldview. I argue throughout the chapter that a hermeneutic and historicised view of natural law, which sees it as shaped by and discovered through human social practices, holds important advantages in responding to each of these challenges.

KeywordsLaw; Legal Philosophy; Philosophy; Jurisprudence
Contains Sensitive ContentDoes not contain sensitive content
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020480410. Legal theory, jurisprudence and legal interpretation
Public Notes

Files associated with this item cannot be displayed due to copyright restrictions.

Byline AffiliationsBond University
Permalink -

https://research.usq.edu.au/item/zyy13/philosophical-challenges-and-prospects-for-natural-law-foundations-of-human-rights

Log in to edit
  • 17
    total views
  • 1
    total downloads
  • 14
    views this month
  • 1
    downloads this month

Export as

Related outputs

The Point of Legal Philosophy
Crowe, J.. 2025. "The Point of Legal Philosophy." Hobbs, H. and Patrick, J. (ed.) Beyond Doctrine: Alternative and Critical Approaches to Law. Federation Press. pp. 32-44
Pseudolaw, Folk Law and Natural Law: How to Tell the Difference
Crowe, Jonathan. 2025. "Pseudolaw, Folk Law and Natural Law: How to Tell the Difference." Hobbs, Harry, Young, Stephen and McIntyre, Joe (ed.) Pseudolaw and Sovereign Citizens. Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 23-36
Injustice and the Moral Obligation to Obey the Law
Crowe, Jonathan. 2025. "Injustice and the Moral Obligation to Obey the Law." Kirkby, Coel, Sadurski, Wojciech and Walton, Kevin (ed.) Law, Politics and Responding to Injustice . United Kingdom. Routledge. pp. 161-179
Contemporary Natural Law Theory: Finnis and Beyond
Crowe, Jonathan. 2024. "Contemporary Natural Law Theory: Finnis and Beyond." USQ Law Society Law Review. 5 (1), pp. 5-22.
Implementing Affirmative Consent in Sexual Offences: A Model Law for Queensland
Crowe, Jonathan, Flynn, Asher and Lee, Bri. 2024. "Implementing Affirmative Consent in Sexual Offences: A Model Law for Queensland." Batagol, Asher, Seear, Kate, Askola, Heli and Walvisch, Jamie (ed.) The Feminist Legislation Project: Rewriting Laws for Gender-Based Justice. United Kingdom. Routledge. pp. 125-138
Most states now have affirmative sexual consent laws, but not enough people know what they mean
Crowe, Jonathan and Ribeiro, Gianni. 2024. "Most states now have affirmative sexual consent laws, but not enough people know what they mean." The Conversation.
Natural Law with and without God
Crowe, Jonathan. 2024. "Natural Law with and without God." Australian Journal of Law and Religion. 4, pp. 17-33. https://doi.org/10.55803/W085N
Harmonising Sexual Consent Law in Australia: Goals, Risks and Challenges
Hill, Guzyal and Crowe, Jonathan. 2024. "Harmonising Sexual Consent Law in Australia: Goals, Risks and Challenges." Monash University Law Review. 49 (3). https://doi.org/10.26180/25650255
The Evolution of Natural Law
Crowe, Jonathan. 2024. "The Evolution of Natural Law." Załuski, Wojciech, Bourgeois-Gironde, Sacha and Dyrda, Adam (ed.) Research Handbook on Legal Evolution. United Kingdom. Edward Elgar Publishing. pp. 396-403
Human Rights in the Natural Law Tradition
Crowe, Jonathan. 2024. "Human Rights in the Natural Law Tradition." Rooney, James Dominic and Zoll, Patrick (ed.) Beyond Classical Liberalism: Freedom and the Good . United Kingdom. Routledge. pp. 190-202
A Critique of the 'Rough Sex Defence' in Australian Rape Law
Burgin, Rachael and Crowe, Jonathan. 2023. "A Critique of the 'Rough Sex Defence' in Australian Rape Law." Bows, Hannah and Herring, Jonathan (ed.) ‘Rough Sex’ and the Criminal Law: Global Perspectives. United Kingdom. Emerald. pp. 117-132
Affirmative Consent and the Mistake of Fact Excuse in Western Australian Rape Law
Crowe, Jonathan, Burgin, Rachael and Edwards, Holli. 2023. "Affirmative Consent and the Mistake of Fact Excuse in Western Australian Rape Law." University of Western Australia Law Review. 50 (1), pp. 284-315.
Defining Wellness in Legal Education: A Reply to Kawamata
Crowe, Jonathan. 2023. "Defining Wellness in Legal Education: A Reply to Kawamata." Alternative Law Journal . 48 (2), pp. 140-142. https://doi.org/10.1177/1037969X231169064
From Alterity to Proximity: Emmanuel Levinas on the Natural Law of Love
Crowe, Jonathan. 2023. "From Alterity to Proximity: Emmanuel Levinas on the Natural Law of Love." Calo, Zachary R., Neoh, Joshua and Thompson, Keith (ed.) Christianity, Ethics and the Law: The Concept of Love in Christian Legal Thought. United Kingdom. Routledge. pp. 149-163
Sovereignty under the Australian Constitution: Why is Section 6 of the Australia Acts Binding on State Parliaments?
Crowe, Jonathan. 2023. "Sovereignty under the Australian Constitution: Why is Section 6 of the Australia Acts Binding on State Parliaments?" University of Queensland Law Journal. 42 (3), pp. 347-369. https://doi.org/10.38127/uqlj.v42i3.8471
Legal Theory
Crowe, Jonathan. 2023. Legal Theory. Australia. Thomson Reuters.
Defects and Failures in Legal Artifacts
Crowe, Jonathan. 2022. "Defects and Failures in Legal Artifacts." Burazin, Luka, Himma, Kenneth, Roversi, Corrado and Banas, Pawel (ed.) The Artifactual Nature of Law. United Kingdom. Edward Elgar Publishing. pp. 37-46
'Picnic, Lightning': The Normative Role of Imagination in Legal Inquiry
Crowe, Jonathan. 2022. "'Picnic, Lightning': The Normative Role of Imagination in Legal Inquiry." Jurisprudence: an international journal of legal and political thought. 13 (2), pp. 267-274. https://doi.org/10.1080/20403313.2022.2088742
Learning from the Other: Levinas on Ethics, Discourse and Language
Crowe, Jonathan. 2022. "Learning from the Other: Levinas on Ethics, Discourse and Language." Griffith Law Review. 31 (3), pp. 452-464. https://doi.org/10.1080/10383441.2022.2108975
Revisiting the Notion of Agreement in Australian Cartel Law in the Algorithm-Driven Economy
Xiong, Brenda Yuanyuan and Crowe, Jonathan. 2022. "Revisiting the Notion of Agreement in Australian Cartel Law in the Algorithm-Driven Economy." Competition and Consumer Law Journal. 29 (2), pp. 91-111.
Australian Constitutional Law: Principles in Movement
Crowe, Jonathan. 2022. Australian Constitutional Law: Principles in Movement. United Kingdom. Oxford University Press.
Constitutional Text, Authorial Intentions and Implied Rights: A Response to Allan and Arcioni
Crowe, J.. 2021. "Constitutional Text, Authorial Intentions and Implied Rights: A Response to Allan and Arcioni." Federal Law Review. 49 (1), pp. 149-157. https://doi.org/10.1177/0067205X20973479
Is Natural Law Timeless?
Crowe, Jonathan. 2021. "Is Natural Law Timeless?" Bond Law Review. 33 (1), pp. 1-10. https://doi.org/10.53300/​001c.18651
Exclusionary Conduct in Competition Law: A Consequence-Sensitive Deontological Account
Jedlickova, Barbora and Crowe, Jonathan. 2021. "Exclusionary Conduct in Competition Law: A Consequence-Sensitive Deontological Account." Jurisprudence: an international journal of legal and political thought. 12 (2), pp. 123-150. https://doi.org/10.1080/20403313.2020.1844981
The Idea of Small Justice
Crowe, Jonathan. 2021. "The Idea of Small Justice." Ratio Juris: an international journal of jurisprudence and philosophy law. 34 (3), pp. 224-243. https://doi.org/10.1111/raju.12324
'It Makes No Difference What We Do': Climate Change and the Ethics of Collective Action
Crowe, Jonathan. 2021. "'It Makes No Difference What We Do': Climate Change and the Ethics of Collective Action." University of Queensland Law Journal. 40 (3), pp. 477-489. https://doi.org/10.38127/uqlj.v40i3.6033
Natural Law and the Nature of Law
Crowe, Jonathan. 2019. Natural Law and the Nature of Law. United Kingdom. Cambridge University Press.
Legal Obligation and Social Norms
Crowe, Jonathan and Agnew, Lucy. 2020. "Legal Obligation and Social Norms." Adelaide Law Review. 41 (1), pp. 217-241.
The New South Wales Law Reform Commission Draft Proposals on Consent in Sexual Offences: A Missed Opportunity?
Burgin, Rachael and Crowe, Jonathan. 2020. "The New South Wales Law Reform Commission Draft Proposals on Consent in Sexual Offences: A Missed Opportunity?" Current Issues in Criminal Justice. 32 (3), pp. 346-358. https://doi.org/10.1080/10345329.2020.1801151
What is Wellness? The Role of Human Values
Crowe, Jonathan. 2020. "What is Wellness? The Role of Human Values." Alternative Law Journal . 45 (4), pp. 261-265. https://doi.org/10.1177/1037969X20954872
Mediation Ethics: From Theory to Practice
Field, Rachael and Crowe, Jonathan. 2020. Mediation Ethics: From Theory to Practice. United Kingdom. Edward Elgar Publishing.