Of these probably the two most important were, first, his commitment to a law of nature, a natural moral law that underpins the rightness or wrongness of all human conduct, and, second, his subscription to the empiricist principle that all knowledge, including moral knowledge, is derived from experience and therefore not innate.
The structure of things being what it is, the principles of practical reason and morality (natural moral law and natural right) can be understood, accepted, and lived by, as fully directive in conscience, without needing to be regarded as (what they really are) an appeal from mind to mind, a plan — freely made to be freely adopted — for integral human fulfillment.
This idea of conscience as a kind of natural moral affection complements Cockburn's view that morality is founded upon human nature: Moral knowledge arises from reflection upon our own natures and moral affection arises out of our natural constitutions.
On that view, violating informed consent requirements toward someone does not necessarily violate her natural moral rights, only what are and morally should remain her legally protected interests.
"Homosexual acts go against the natural moral law," it said.
Non-Jews were supposed by Mendelssohn to owe allegiance to the natural moral law.
Such a marriage, in my opinion, conforms to the natural, moral law.
"Marriage is holy, while homosexual acts go against the natural moral law," it said.
The Vatican says homosexual acts "go against the natural moral law".
As humans we have natural moral reactions to the beings around us — sympathy for other people and animals.
