Abstract

ALVAREZ, Tulio Alberto. Natural Law as a Pattern for a Just Order. Frónesis [online]. 2009, vol.16, n.3, pp.467-486. ISSN 1315-6268.

Starting with an analysis of the Vatican document “Regarding the Search for a Universal Ethic: A New Look at Natural Law” (A La Recherche D’une Ethique Universelle: Nouveau Regard Sur La Loi Naturelle), some current problems in the interpretation and application of law are reviewed. Specifically, the study deals with validating the normative system as a just order, linking it to some universal values that grant privilege to the dignity of the human person. With the objective of freeing juridical praxis from legal-positive harshness, the concept of natural law is reviewed and the problem of justice is moved to the field of ethics in an effort to face the crisis that marks the destiny of a ghettoized, materialist society with perverted values.

Keywords : natural law; ethics; justice; values and common good.