Critique of the New Natural Law Theory

Critique of the New Natural Law Theory Volume 1 provides a rigorous academic analysis of contemporary attempts to redefine natural law. Russell Hittinger examines the frameworks proposed by Germain Grisez and John Finnis, who seek to establish a version of natural law that withstands Enlightenment critiques. This work of philosophy and law evaluates the contributions of moral philosophers like Alasdair MacIntyre and Elizabeth Anscombe to determine if a premodern ethical foundation can be successfully recovered for modern moral theology.

Hittinger tests the internal coherence of this new theory, focusing on its religious and metaphysical shortcomings. He argues that the approach fails by neglecting philosophical anthropology, leaving it unable to explain why nature serves as a norm for human activity. This volume concludes that a defensible theory of natural law requires a stronger integration of theoretical and practical rationality to be truly comprehensive.