A look at natural law theory

The ideology of the west (capitalism) is founded on the idea that man is capable of determining the good and the bad, and that he is capable of determining the laws and systems that enable humankind to live according to the good, avoiding and suppressing the bad.

This view regarding man and life owes its existence to what in philosophy is known as natural law theory.

Of all the ideas that make up the core of western civilization, natural law theory is probably the least known. Yet, it may be argued that all of its famous ideas, such as secularism, democracy, freedom, individualism, and utilitarianism, owe their existence to natural law theory, at least indirectly. Natural law theory, namely, justified the search of the philosophers of Europe’s Middle Ages for a new way of life, a way of life not based on the teachings of the Bible (as understood at that time). It was only after the development of natural law theory, in other words, that the ideas which rule the world today could be developed.