Rescuing the New Natural Law Theory: From Absolute Values to a Theory of Autonomy
Bibliographic record
Abstract
Abstract. The new natural theory developed by Germain Grisez, John Finnis, Robert George and other new natural lawyers is presented by both its friends and its liberal critics as more concerned with absolute values than theorizing human freedom. This concern is seemingly borne out by the new natural lawyers' narrow and exclusionary sexual ethic. However, this article suggests that the new natural law theory might be rescued from both these groups and shown to contain a robust and attractive account of freedom. Through a reconstruction of the new natural law theory's unique mode of arriving at moral action, this article suggests the new natural law theory integrates three distinct dimensions of autonomy which are often kept separate: a Kantian moral autonomy, a Rawlsian personal autonomy and a Hegelian ethical autonomy. The result is a new natural law theory—and a sexual ethic—more liberating than either the friends or critics of the new natural law theory would seem to allow. Résumé. La nouvelle théorie de la loi naturelle, développée par Germain Grisez, John Finnis, Robert George et plusieurs autres défenseurs de la nouvelle loi naturelle, est présentée par ses défenseurs et critiques libéraux comme étant plus concernée par les valeurs absolues que par la théorisation de la liberté humaine. Cette préoccupation semble être née de la conception étroite et exclusive que font les théoriciens de la nouvelle loi naturelle de l'éthique sexuelle. Par contre, cet article suggère que la nouvelle théorie de la loi naturelle peut être secourue de ces deux groupes et démontre que la nouvelle loi naturelle contient une description robuste et intéressante du concept de liberté. À travers une reconstruction du mode d'arrivée à l'action morale unique à la nouvelle théorie de la loi naturelle, cet article suggère que la nouvelle théorie de la loi naturelle intègre trois dimensions distinctes de l'autonomie qui sont souvent gardées séparer: l'autonomie morale kantienne, l'autonomie personnelle rawlsienne et l'autonomie éthique hégélienne. Le résultat est une nouvelle théorie de la loi naturelle, et une éthique sexuelle, plus libérée que ce que les défenseurs et critiques de la nouvelle théorie de la loi naturelle semblent permettre.
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How this classification was reachedexpand
Full frame machine prediction
Teacher imitationNot calibrated prevalence, not ground truth. Human validation pending. The Gemma side is a direct model label for every work in the frame, read from the title-only record. The Codex side is a classifier learned from the 10,348 direct Codex labels and calibrated to design-weighted sample rates; fields without enough sample support carry no Codex call. Candidate is the union of the two sides; consensus is their intersection. These outputs are machine_predicted_unvalidated and are not human labels.
Distilled classifier scores by category (both heads)
| Category | Codex | Gemma |
|---|---|---|
| Metaresearch | 0.008 | 0.007 |
| Meta-epidemiology (narrow) | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Meta-epidemiology (broad) | 0.000 | 0.001 |
| Bibliometrics | 0.002 | 0.001 |
| Science and technology studies | 0.003 | 0.047 |
| Scholarly communication | 0.004 | 0.010 |
| Open science | 0.002 | 0.005 |
| Research integrity | 0.003 | 0.006 |
| Insufficient payload (model declined to judge) | 0.004 | 0.001 |
Machine scores (provisional)
The two teacher heads of the student model, read on this work. A score orders the frame for review; it never asserts a category, and the validation status ships verbatim with every row.
Baseline scores from an immature model (maturity gate not passed, 7 training rounds). Scores rank; they never assert a category.
score_only:v0-immature-baseline · verbatim from the scoring run: score_only means the number may rank works, and no category label ships from itClassification
machine, unvalidatedMachine predicted; a candidate call from one source (direct Gemma or distilled Codex), not a consensus.
How this classification was reached, model by model and score by score, is at the end of the page under "How this classification was reached".