Playing Dumb: Consequences of Violating the Natural Law

In a talk given at The Veritas Forum at Louisiana State University in March 2006, Jay Budziszewski considers "natural law" – the foundational principles of right and wrong.

Thomas Aquinas defined law as a kind of discipline that compels through fear of punishment.

Repressed knowledge is different than genuine ignorance…. The effort to hold down the truth distorts the personality…. There are certain things that we can’t not know.

Whether the law compels us to obedience or drives us on to further violation – that depends on the condition of our hearts.

The talk lasts for about 40 minutes and is followed by a Q&A session also of about 40 minutes.

© 2006 Jay Budziszewski
This talk is published here by the kind permission of The Veritas Forum.