{"id":"https://openalex.org/W2465624966","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1353/tho.2004.0000","title":"What is Natural Law?: Human Purposes and Natural Ends","display_name":"What is Natural Law?: Human Purposes and Natural Ends","publication_year":2004,"publication_date":"2004-01-01","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W2465624966","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1353/tho.2004.0000","mag":"2465624966"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1353/tho.2004.0000","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1353/tho.2004.0000","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1353/tho.2004.0000","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S66032519","display_name":"The Thomist: A Speculative Quarterly Review","issn_l":"0040-6325","issn":["0040-6325","2473-3725"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":["anvur-class-a","anvur-scientific","jufo-1","norway-1","poland-70","russia-white-list-2"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4323284795","host_organization_name":"Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4323284795"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception"],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"The Thomist: A Speculative Quarterly Review","raw_type":"journal-article"},"volume":null,"type":"article","indexed_in":["crossref"],"open_access":{"is_oa":false,"oa_status":"closed","oa_url":null,"any_repository_has_fulltext":false},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5024017755","display_name":"Robert Soko\u0142owski","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2825-8076","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2825-8076"]},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Robert Sokolowski","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":0,"institutions_distinct_count":0,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5024017755"],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":2.8481,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":38,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.93994013,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":true},"cited_by_percentile_year":{"min":89,"max":100},"biblio":{"volume":"68","issue":"4","first_page":"507","last_page":"529"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12857","display_name":"Medieval Philosophy and Theology","score":0.7480000257492065,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1211","display_name":"Philosophy"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/12","display_name":"Arts and Humanities"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12857","display_name":"Medieval Philosophy and Theology","score":0.7480000257492065,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1211","display_name":"Philosophy"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/12","display_name":"Arts and Humanities"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10297","display_name":"Philosophical Ethics and Theory","score":0.12549999356269836,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1211","display_name":"Philosophy"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/12","display_name":"Arts and Humanities"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T13147","display_name":"Ethics and bioethics in healthcare","score":0.035999998450279236,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2739","display_name":"Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/27","display_name":"Medicine"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/4","display_name":"Health Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/natural-law","display_name":"natural law","score":0.9739999771118164},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/human-nature","display_name":"human nature","score":0.6499999761581421},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/human-purpose","display_name":"human purpose","score":0.5860000252723694},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/thomism","display_name":"Thomism","score":0.6949999928474426},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/human-good","display_name":"human good","score":0.49000000953674316},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/happiness","display_name":"happiness","score":0.6840000152587891},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/human-excellence","display_name":"human excellence","score":0.4970000088214874},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/medical-ethics","display_name":"medical ethics","score":0.6570000052452087},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/philosophical-anthropology","display_name":"philosophical anthropology","score":0.5},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/aristotle","display_name":"Aristotle","score":0.49399998784065247},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/theory-and-practice","display_name":"theory and practice","score":0.5389999747276306}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C44725695","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q288156","display_name":"Normative","level":2,"score":0.7359623312950134},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776608160","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4785462","display_name":"Natural (archaeology)","level":2,"score":0.6845563054084778},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C111472728","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9471","display_name":"Epistemology","level":1,"score":0.6624378561973572},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C155785087","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q29524","display_name":"Natural law","level":2,"score":0.517857551574707},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C144024400","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21201","display_name":"Sociology","level":0,"score":0.41987884044647217},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C138885662","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5891","display_name":"Philosophy","level":0,"score":0.3957536518573761},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C95457728","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q309","display_name":"History","level":0,"score":0.09532707929611206},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C166957645","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23498","display_name":"Archaeology","level":1,"score":0.0}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":2,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1353/tho.2004.0000","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1353/tho.2004.0000","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1353/tho.2004.0000","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S66032519","display_name":"The Thomist: A Speculative Quarterly Review","issn_l":"0040-6325","issn":["0040-6325","2473-3725"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":["anvur-class-a","anvur-scientific","jufo-1","norway-1","poland-70","russia-white-list-2"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4323284795","host_organization_name":"Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4323284795"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception"],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"The Thomist: A Speculative Quarterly Review","raw_type":"journal-article"},{"id":"pmh:oai:muse.jhu.edu:/article/636545","doi":null,"is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/16/article/636545","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4377196299","display_name":"Project Muse (Johns Hopkins University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I145311948","host_organization_name":"Johns Hopkins University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I145311948"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":"","raw_type":"text"}],"best_oa_location":null,"sustainable_development_goals":[],"sustainable_development_goals_aurora":[{"score":0.4099999964237213,"id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/16","display_name":"Peace, justice, and strong institutions"}],"study_designs":[],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"pdf":false,"grobid_xml":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":9,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W72034680","https://openalex.org/W570314777","https://openalex.org/W574587336","https://openalex.org/W635824364","https://openalex.org/W651745002","https://openalex.org/W1492768123","https://openalex.org/W1546775849","https://openalex.org/W2028498854","https://openalex.org/W2256129217"],"related_works":["https://openalex.org/W2964679811","https://openalex.org/W2507042185","https://openalex.org/W2487122989","https://openalex.org/W595995337","https://openalex.org/W590614886","https://openalex.org/W7058555932","https://openalex.org/W4236521872","https://openalex.org/W146922280","https://openalex.org/W2018248674","https://openalex.org/W4246986389"],"abstract_inverted_index":{"The":[0,16,62,166,255,373,394,527,621,640],"Thomist":[1],"68":[2],"(2004):":[3],"507-29":[4],"WHAT":[5],"IS":[6],"NATURAL":[7,12,651],"LAW?":[8],"HUMAN":[9,648],"PURPOSES":[10,649],"AND":[11,508,650],"ENDS":[13,507,652],"ROBERT":[14,267],"SOKOLOWSKI":[15,268],"Catholic":[17,622,641],"University":[18,623,642],"ofAmerica":[19],"Washington,":[20],"DC":[21],"ETHICS":[22],"IN":[23],"GENERAL,":[24],"and":[25,42,51,91,109,117,126,218,226,236,285,368,388,392,397,436,442,481,499,525,570,603,613,629,631,654,671,674,678],"medical":[26],"ethics":[27],"in":[28,107,115,230,243,262,329,342,405,535,551,579,610,633,673],"particular,":[29],"are":[30,278,289,409,416,560,564,571,581,657,680],"obviously":[31],"related":[32],"to":[33,36,55,60,96,113,142,188,209,257,370,386,455,519,548,576,606],"human":[34,84,129,145,164,181,213,270,295,307,448,458,515,561,586],"self-understanding,":[35],"what":[37,48,56,139,162,175,185,282,293,315,350,658],"we":[38,57,74,101,140,300,310,323,336,360,366,375,461,469,484,567],"could":[39,75],"call":[40],"philosophical":[41,542],"theological":[43],"anthropology.":[44],"Our":[45],"understanding":[46],"of":[47,83,123,128,138,153,199,234,249,351,514,540,601,624,643],"is":[49,53,65,69,131,156,161,168,177,187,238,272,331,381,465,476,490,494,661],"ethical":[50],"unethical":[52],"connected":[54],"take":[58],"ourselves":[59],"be.":[61],"relationship,":[63],"however,":[64],"not":[66,70,239,251,354,419,427,471,500],"one-sided.":[67,240],"It":[68],"the":[71,99,120,124,133,136,148,157,170,180,203,232,320,349,356,363,389,398,412,433,447,457,521,598,607,614,659],"case":[72],"that":[73,322,335,365,382,463,474,479,488,493],"work":[76,103],"out":[77,104,122],"a":[78,87,190,304,327,466,536,549,554],"comprehensive":[79],"description":[80,127],"or":[81,150,574],"definition":[82,125],"nature":[85,130,271],"as":[86,144,223],"purely":[88],"theoretic":[89],"enterprise":[90],"then":[92,110],"apply":[93,111],"this":[94,343,437,512],"knowledge":[95],"practical":[97],"issues,":[98],"way":[100],"might":[102,400],"some":[105,339,406],"ideas":[106],"mathematics":[108,244],"them":[112],"problems":[114,248],"engineering":[116],"physics.1":[118],"Rather,":[119],"working":[121],"at":[132,325,411],"same":[134,390,413],"time":[135],"formulation":[137],"ought":[141],"be":[143,189,206,371,456],"beings,":[146,516],"because":[147],"good":[149,191,434],"perfected":[151],"state":[152],"man,":[154],"which":[155],"issue":[158],"for":[159,306,569,675],"ethics,":[160],"defines":[163],"being.":[165],"normative":[167],"also":[169],"definitional.":[171],"We":[172,345,415],"cannot":[173],"describe":[174],"man":[176,396,464],"without":[178,183,202],"specifying":[179],"good,":[182],"showing":[184],"it":[186,317,333,452,454,663],"(and":[192],"consequently":[193],"\"happy\")":[194],"man.":[195],"To":[196,510],"want":[197,367],"one":[198,387],"these":[200,379],"dimensions":[201],"other":[204],"would":[205],"like":[207],"wanting":[208],"study":[210],"physiology,":[211],"whether":[212],"orsimply":[214],"animal,":[215,468],"withoutmentioning":[216],"health":[217,284],"its":[219,666,669],"various":[220],"contraries,":[221],"such":[222],"illness,":[224],"injury,":[225],"impairment.":[227],"1":[228],"Even":[229],"mathematics,":[231],"relationship":[233],"theory":[235],"practice":[237],"Many":[241],"innovations":[242],"arise":[245],"from":[246,252,584],"real":[247],"computation,":[250],"abstract":[253],"mathematics.":[254],"stimulus":[256],"mathematical":[258],"thinking":[259],"often":[260],"lies":[261],"real-world":[263],"questions.":[264],"507":[265],"508":[266],"But":[269],"more":[273,486],"complicated":[274],"than":[275],"physiology.":[276],"There":[277],"few":[279],"disagreements":[280],"about":[281,292,348,355,378,421,424,429,432,496,573],"constitutes":[283,294],"sickness,":[286],"but":[287,309,353,404,423,431,683],"there":[288,559,582],"many":[290],"opinions":[291],"excellence.":[296],"As":[297],"Aristotle":[298],"says,":[299],"all":[301,384,417],"agree":[302],"on":[303,314,362],"name":[305,328],"happiness,":[308,352],"disagree":[311],"very":[312,402],"much":[313],"makes":[316,453],"up.2":[318],"Still,":[319],"fact":[321,364],"have":[324],"least":[326],"common":[330,340],"important;":[332],"shows":[334],"start":[337],"with":[338],"ground":[341],"domain.":[344],"may":[346],"differ":[347,361],"that,":[357],"nor":[358],"do":[359,470],"need":[369],"happy.":[372],"reason":[374],"can":[376],"argue":[377],"differences":[380],"they":[383,408],"pertain":[385],"quest":[391],"target.":[393],"just":[395,420,428,472,501],"hedonist":[399],"act":[401],"differently,":[403],"sense":[407],"aiming":[410],"thing.":[414],"concerned":[418,495],"living":[422,425,441,443,497],"well,":[426,444],"life":[430],"life,":[435],"little":[438],"difference,":[439],"between":[440,523],"greatly":[445],"complicates":[446],"condition.":[449,459],"In":[450],"fact,":[451],"When":[460],"say":[462],"rational":[467],"mean":[473],"he":[475,489],"an":[477,491],"animal":[478,492],"calculates":[480],"draws":[482],"inferences;":[483],"mean,":[485],"substantially,":[487],"well":[498],"living.":[502],"I.":[503],"THE":[504],"DISTINCTION":[505],"BETWEEN":[506],"PuRPOSES":[509],"explore":[511],"complexity":[513],"I":[517],"wish":[518,568],"discuss":[520],"difference":[522],"ends":[524],"purposes.":[526],"distinction":[528],"has":[529,664],"been":[530],"formulated":[531],"by":[532],"Francis":[533,595],"Slade,":[534,596],"striking":[537],"modern":[538],"recapitulation":[539],"classical":[541],"ideas.3":[543],"An":[544],"end,":[545],"atelos,":[546],"belongs":[547],"thing":[550,660],"itself,":[552],"while":[553],"purpose":[555],"arises":[556],"only":[557],"when":[558,662],"beings.":[562],"Purposes":[563],"intentions,":[565],"something":[566],"deliberating":[572],"acting":[575],"achieve.":[577],"Ends,":[578],"contrast,":[580],"apart":[583],"any":[585],"wishes":[587],"2":[588],"Aristode,":[589],"Nicomacbean":[590],"Ethics":[591],"1.4.":[592],"3":[593],"See":[594],"\"On":[597],"Ontological":[599],"Priority":[600],"Ends":[602,677],"Its":[604],"Relevance":[605],"Narrative":[608],"Arts,\"":[609],"Beauty,":[611],"Art,":[612],"Polis,":[615],"ed.":[616,637],"Alice":[617],"Ramos":[618],"(Washington,":[619],"D.C.:":[620,639],"America":[625,644],"Press,":[626,645],"2000),":[627],"58-69;":[628],"\"Ends":[630],"Purposes,\"":[632],"Final":[634],"Causality":[635],"inNatureandHumanAffairs,":[636],"RichardHassing(Washington,":[638],"1997),":[646],"83-85.":[647],"509":[653],"deliberations.":[655],"They":[656],"reached":[665],"best":[667],"state,":[668],"perfection":[670],"completion":[672],"itself.":[676],"purposes":[679],"both":[681],"goods,":[682],"goods":[684],"of...":[685]},"counts_by_year":[{"year":2025,"cited_by_count":1},{"year":2023,"cited_by_count":1},{"year":2020,"cited_by_count":1},{"year":2019,"cited_by_count":24},{"year":2018,"cited_by_count":1},{"year":2017,"cited_by_count":1},{"year":2015,"cited_by_count":2},{"year":2013,"cited_by_count":1},{"year":2012,"cited_by_count":1}],"updated_date":"2026-10-02T10:15:12.560889","created_date":"2016-07-22T00:00:00"}