50 Questions on the Natural Law: What It Is and Why We Need It

The book is very well organized, with each question being independent of the other as much as possible without sacrificing relevance. The writing style is very good, the chronological orders of the questions are great, and the questions are common. Overall the book was great reading and the answers were good. I especially enjoyed Prof. Rice's talks about how the Catholic Church views man (as a relational creature), views the family in relation to the state, and her sexual ethics.

With all that said, there are some negatives that bring the book down from five stars to 3.5 stars. One negative being that this book was made more for the already Catholic who would like to know how the Natural Law fits into Catholic theology. It is much less a defense and understanding of the Natural law than it is an understanding of how the Natural law fits into Catholic philosophy, and certain Catholic teachings with regard to the natural law. When I received the book, I was looking more for a general understanding of the Natural Law, with emphasis on different schools of thought on the subject, and where they differ. I was also looking for systematic ways of applying the Natural Law in our everyday life. This was not given in much detail at all. The author relied too heavily on what the Catholic Church already teaches on certain topics, than on how I can arrive to that conclusion on my own reason. I would like to have seen the emphasis reversed. Because of the books strong reliance on Catholic teachings and presuppositions, anyone who is investigating the Natural Law as an alternative to the liberalism of today, and who doesn't have an already preconceived respect for the Catholic Church will not have a lot to gain from this book.

Another, and more important, negative is some sections are only introductory answers to very complex issues. Sometimes I would have liked the author to give other areas less attention and maybe concentrate more on more prevalent areas, especially areas where there is much more confusion and the Catholic Churches reasoning so strong. Areas like Contraception, Abortion, and even surrogate motherhood could have received more attention. Or at least recommended great books to read more on the subject. Authors like, Janet Smith, Peter Kreeft, and Fracis Beckwith each provide outstanding additions, and much more depth to many of the topics covered in this book. Yet Charles Rice does not recommend any of them. Now I can understand his desire to keep the answers general and succinct. I realize there are far too many important topics in this book to give each answer its due time. I just often wonder if a little more space for certain loaded questions would have been better.

I would just like to end with, if you are expecting how I characterized the book on my first comment, than this book is right for you. I couldn't recommend it more.


A must read! Great for lawyers, philosophers!   August 28, 2001
 11 out of 13 found this review helpful

This is by far the best books I've ever read on the subject of the natural law. The Q&A format is very well suited to the subject and he asks all of the right questions to the point that you can anticipate them -- it really flows smoothly. I highly recommend the book for religious-minded law students who want an alternative to the prevailing modern law theories where God is absent from the discourse. Charles Rice does a very thorough, scholarly job with this book. Highly recommended.


Stellar!   February 4, 1999
 14 out of 16 found this review helpful

Charles E. Rice demonstrates his capability as a legal scholar in this great treatment of natural law. Not only is this book filled with great information on traditional natural law thinkers such as Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas, it is full of contemporary legal examples that concretize the discussion and bring natural law out of the abstract realm into our everyday lives.