Přirozený zákon ve filosofii 20. století a jeho zdroje

Natural law is one of the most important ideas that form foundations of European philosophical, ethical and legal thought. Presented article provides exposition of development of idea of natural law in philosophical thought with emphasis on its key moments and textual explications of its most important theses that foreshadowed understanding of this concept in history. The purpose of this article is not detailed inquiry into one of the stages of its development or into thought of some of important authors, but to provide concise picture of its development as whole. The article starts with description of sources of natural law idea at pre-Socratic, following with Plato and Aristotle. The next part describes scholastic approach to natural law idea in works of T. Aquinas and Suarez. Then the focus of the article turns to Grotius, Pufendorf and Hobbes, and proceeds to short description theoretically opposite tradition of positivism represented by Bentham, Austin and their followers. The last part of text provides short description of natural law debate in works of the most important authors of twentieth century.