Mere Natural Law - James Wilson Institute

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Mere Natural Law

By The James Wilson Institute • Posted on May 13 2025

Professor Arkes on C-Span with Judge Naomi Rao:

https://www.c-span.org/video/?527800-1/mere-natural-law

https://www.anchoringtruths.org/watch-hadley-arkes-on-the-eric-metaxas-show/

Professor Arkes on the Eric Metaxas Show

Professor Arkes on Issues Etc. Lutheran Radio: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1322-natural-law-and-the-us-constitution-dr-hadley/id284220611?i=1000612838671

Professor Arkes at ISI: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hadley-arkes-on-mere-natural-law-abortion-and-the/id1553782057?i=1000613258078

https://youtu.be/dTHLNxFZwQA

Professor Arkes' interview with David Gordon on the meaning of natural law, individual common sense, and whether legislating morality constitutes an overturning of the American judicial system.

23:13-33:46 Leland Conway interviews Professor Arkes on originalism, judicial activism, and the "presumptive" nature of individual rights.

https://omny.fm/shows/sethleibsohnshow/may-4-2023-hour-3-hadley-arkes

Professor Arkes talks with Seth Leibsohn about Mere Natural Law, the "invincible ignorance" of conservative and liberal justices on abortion and transgenderism, and the consequences of relativism on free speech.

"What the conservatives should be doing is drawing the line at substantive argument as opposed to derision." - Professor Arkes

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/mere-natural-law-and-the-anchoring-truths-of-constitutional-order/

Tom Shakely praises Mere Natural Law as "timeless" and "instructive," a book with the capacity to reintroduce moral coherence to constitutional judgements on issues like abortion and transgenderism.

World Opinions editor Andrew Walker encourages readers to consider Arkes's natural law argument: https://wng.org/opinions/reason-and-morality-are-prior-to-the-law-1682985206

Glenn Ellmers reviews Mere Natural Law in The New Criterion: https://newcriterion.com/issues/2023/6/a-bracing-constitutional

Professor Hadley Arkes recently appeared on Timothy J. Gordon's "Rules for Retrogrades" podcast to discuss his new book Mere Natural Law and the natural law principles he has advocated for decades. The two enjoyed a wide-ranging and extensive conversation.

The full discussion can be found here.