Abstract

There has been renewed interest among contemporary ethicians in the natural law doctrine of St. Thomas Aquinas. However, a great deal of controversy has been generated as to what St. Thomas considers to be the basis or derivation of natural law. In an attempt, then, to clarify what in fact constitutes for St. Thomas the foundation of natural law, we undertake to study the question: Is natural law innate? Further, to better understand the precise manner in which natural law is innate for St. Thomas, we also undertake a comparative study of the innate character of natural law according to St. Bonaventure. The numerous contrasts between the thought of St. Thomas and St. Bonaventure concerning the innate character of natural law is of service in illuminating not only each thinker's position on the derivation of natural law, but the unique character of their natural law doctrines as understood within their respective world-views. ;The dissertation is divided into six parts. The first section includes a statement of purpose, a review of the literature, a listing of pertinent texts to be investigated, and the method of study to be followed. The second and third sections provide an exposition and analysis of St. Bonaventure's doctrine of natural law as innate. In the fourth and fifth sections we consider St. Thomas' doctrine of natural law as innate. The final section includes a general summation of our findings, a comparison between the natural law doctrines of St. Bonaventure and St. Thomas, and--in view of our findings--a few points of clarification with respect to a few contemporary interpretations of St. Thomas' moral theory. An extensive bibliography follows