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Knowledge of classical and contemporary natural law theories and their importance for Moral Theology, knowledge and ability to judge with regard to the strengths and weaknesses of the respective approaches in terms of ethical justification.

This seminar for doctoral students will deal with central themes of classical and contemporary Natural Law Ethics. Our texts are mainly taken from Thomas Aquinas (Treatise on Law: STh I-II qq. 90-96) and from Jonathan J. Crowe’s new book “Natural Law and Law of Nature” (2019). Besides that, we will study contemporary texts on cultural relativism & human rights (R. Deinhammer), sexual ethics (J. Porter; J. Finnis, R. George), legal positivism, and the normativity of human law (H. Kelsen, G. Radbruch). The course is divided into a preparatory meeting and four subsequent sessions. Most of the meetings will take place in Innsbruck. Two meetings will be joint sessions with students from Munich (Munich School of Philosophy). The third session (14.6.) will be a meeting in Munich.

Course Meetings:

-        Wednesday 13.3. 15h: preparatory meeting (Handbib.)

-        Friday 19.4., 17-19h, Saturday 20.4., 9-15h (SR III) 

-        Friday, 17.5., 10:30-17h joint meeting (SR III)

-        Friday, 14.6., 10:30-17h Munich, joint meeting

-         Friday, 21.6., 10-17h (SR III)

Interpretation of texts, class room discussions.

Short papers, participation in class room discussions, final paper.

To be announced at the beginning of the course.

None.