Iuris Naturalis Societas Conference

This workshop welcomes submissions addressing the relationship between natural law and constitutional law. Natural law, emphasizing morality and human dignity, informs constitutional frameworks by shaping fundamental rights and guiding judicial interpretation. Scholars like John Finnis highlight natural law's role in crafting constitutions rooted in the common good, while others underscores its influence on protecting human rights. By integrating ethical norms, natural law ensures that constitutional law transcends legal formalism, fostering legitimacy, fairness, and societal order. This synergy creates a dynamic interplay between moral reasoning and legal structure, ensuring a just and equitable society. 

The New Natural Law Theory, initiated in the theological and moral field by Germain Grisez, and projected onto the legal field by authors such as John Finnis or Robert P. George, has contributed to bring the legal and political relevance of natural law back to the forefront of the world legal debate. However, there is no shortage of criticism of the New Natural Law Theory precisely in the name of the Natural Law Tradition, claiming that this doctrine is more Kantian than Thomistic, and that its approach generates more problems than it solves. Among the most prominent critics of the New Natural Law Theory are Rusell Hittinger, Steven Long and Steven Jensen in the USA, and in Spain, among others, the devastating criticism of Alfredo Cruz Prados. This workshop is of interest to consider whether the renewal of iusnaturalism in the 21st century should continue along the path of Finnis' highly influential work.

The traditional left-right political polarity is being displaced worldwide by the individualist-communitarian polarity. Liberal political philosophy, which enshrines an individualism that seems to clash with the classical notion of the common good, has been supported by authors such as John Rawls and Ronald Dworkin. However, in the face of this individualism an intellectual and political movement is emerging, which emphasizes national sovereignty, traditional values, and resistance to globalization and supranational influence. Its core ideas include preserving cultural identity, opposing perceived overreach by elites, and prioritizing local interests over global agendas. Influential authors include Samuel P. Huntington, whose Clash of Civilizations highlights cultural preservation, and Patrick J. Buchanan, advocating for nationalism and anti-globalism in The Death of the West. Populist thinkers like Steve Bannon emphasize economic nationalism and grassroots mobilization. The movement resonates with critiques of liberalism by figures like Alasdair MacIntyre, blending cultural conservatism and a rejection of modern political and economic paradigms.

This workshop will focus on the relationship between natural law and human rights. Reflection will be made on the importance of natural law as a philosophical foundation for human rights and its significance for contemporary debates. The topics that can be covered in this seminar are: the role of natural law thought in the history of human rights; human rights scepticism; the different notions of ‘subjective right’; the various foundations for human rights within natural law ethics; the relationship between natural law and human rights in religious traditions; the relation between human rights, political community and law; human rights interpretation; and tensions between human rights law and natural law ethics

Ethical relativism and a certain complex of some scholars when it comes to teaching classical natural law, have emptied the academic discipline of legal philosophy of content, to the point that in some universities its presence in academic programs has been greatly reduced. If this discipline is like the soul of law, we need to revive its classical content and reawaken the interest of students. This workshop will discuss appropriate contents of this discipline, analyze jurisprudence text books in the world and propose updated teaching methods, making our own the Latin motu: non nova sed nove.