Blaw Exam 1 Flashcards
Religion
religion has historically dealt primarily with ethical issues of distribution; production questions did not really arise until the 19th century
Norman Borlaug
created new breed of successful high yield, disease-resistant, semi-dwarf wheat
Preamble to the constitution
first part of constitution that states principles and purposes of document
US spends more litigation than any other country
true
What are the 6 great ideas of western civilization - Mortimer Adler
How we judge the transcendentals: truth, beauty, goodness
How we act: liberty, justice, equality
Types of Justice
Commutative, distributive and legal
Commutative justice
the duty of fairness in exchange
ex/ buying starbucks is just b/c freewill to buy coffee
distributive justice
What the community owes its members
ex. help elders, disabled
Legal justice
What we owe the community
Jurisprudence Schools (list)
Historical, Realist, Positivist, Natural Law
Historical school
the theory that law is produced and shaped by important historical facts/developments. Karl Friedrich von Savigny
Realist school
The key to understanding the judicial system is to understand the tremendous amount of discretion that is available to legal actors.
ex. poor ppl have harder time affording lawyer
Oliver Wendle Holmes Jr - holmes says the law is what the law does
Positivist school
A type of jurisprudence that views law as simply the command or will of the recognized sovereign authority of the state.
Sacrifice liberty for security –> need to have strong government
Thomas Hobbes (Utilitarian)
Natural Law School
Law contains universal moral principles
Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, & John Locke
St. Thomas - Aquinas’ Definition of Law
Law = an ordering of reason, promulgated by the person in charge of a community, for the common good. (Aquinas)
St Thomas Characteristics of Law
- reasonable
- publicly disclosed
- be issued from someone w/ authority
- must be for common good not self-interest
The care of creation
earth is gods gift and all species have a rightful place in it
St. Thomas Aquinas Types of Law
Eternal, Divine, Natural, Human
Eternal Law
the order in creation that reflects God’s will and purpose; it is eternal because it is always true and never changes.
EVERYTHING has a nature
ex.don’t kill someone without reason
Divine Law
for christians this would be the explicit commands of God found in old and new testament
for example: love god and love thy neighbor
Natural Law
“involves human participation in God’s eternal law as regards the providential ordering of human life; the use of human reason to reflect on what our common human nature is, and what is required to respect that nature, as found in all human beings”.
ex: rape, torture
Human Law
Laws enacted by human political entities. Sometimes called positive or enacted law. Human law should never violate natural law. (can be in conflict tho)
whatever the government says it is.
Aristotle’s definition of human nature
– Nature in this context refers to a kind or type of ‘being’ that possesses a given set of powers capable of producing the observed structures and activities.
Humans are rational political and social rational powers would include knowing, thinking, speaking, deliberating, wishing, loving and choosing.
Humans, as rational animals are a separate type or kind having a nature, or end directedness. Aquinas adds the characteristic of human “person”.
Boethius’ definition of a person
individual substance of a rational nature (Individual, Substance, Nature, and Rational or Reason)