St. Thomas Aquinas's thought of natural law is part of the classical theories of natural law, supporting his theory of law with his comprehensive system of philosophy. Especially constructing the system of virtue ethics, natural law as the first principle of human acts and virtue as the intrinsic principle of human acts can be considered the two wings through which to understand and interpret the right and wrong as well as good and evil of human acts. Jacques Maritain's natural law basically follows Aquinas's and does it in a critical way. Based on Aquinas definition, "Law is nothing else than an ordinance of reason for the common good, made by him who has care of the community, and promulgated," from Summa Theologica, Maritain explains in The Rights of Man and Natural Law what the "common good" is and how the rights of a human person are rooted in natural law. Moreover, he points out in Natural Law: Reflections on Theory & Practice that natural law is composed of the ontological and the epistemological elements, which are expanded and developed into Maritain's unique doctrine. This article, looking at the aforementioned context, is meant to figure out the meanings of natural laws by Aquinas from the Medieval Times and by Maritain from the 20th century and their connection with human rights, manifesting the contemporary meanings of natural law.
