Natural Law: A legacy of Veritatis Splendor

María Soledad Paladino

doi:10.46553/teo.61.145.2024.p195-224

Authors

María Soledad Paladino Universidad Austral. Argentina https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5640-734X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46553/teo.61.145.2024.p195-224

Keywords:

Veritatis Splendor, Natural Law, Practical Reason, Theonomy

Abstract

The encyclical of Saint John Paul II constitutes a milestone in the history of the Church: it is the first time that the Magisterium dedicated a document to address the doctrinal foundations of moral theology. The central teaching of Veritatis Splendor focuses on moral autonomy, whose metaphysical-theological foundation is natural law. While Veritatis Splendor provides a profound explanation of these foundations, it leaves room for further theological reflection on the role natural law plays in moral knowledge, that is, how humans can discern the demands of natural law in the pursuit of moral goodness.
This article outlines the key points of the metaphysical and theological foundation of natural law as participated theonomy, within the context of the controversy surrounding autonomous morality. It also delves deeper into understanding how natural law relates to moral knowledge, particularly by demonstrating the extent of participated theonomy.

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Author Biography

María Soledad Paladino, Universidad Austral. Argentina

La autora de esta contribución es Doctora en Teología por la Pontificia Universidad de la Santa Cruz (Roma). Es profesora adjunto en la Facultad de Ciencias Biomédicas de la Universidad Austral, e investigadora asociada del Instituto de Filosofía de la Universidad Austral. Actualmente realiza estudios sobre las cuestiones éticas relacionadas al uso de la Inteligencia Artificial en Medicina.

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