Chapter 5 20th-Century Natural Law Theory in Spain and Portugal

Abstract

To explore the history of natural law theory in 20th-century Italy (see Fassò 1964a, 109–28; Pérez Luño 1971, Marini 1987, Lorenzi 1990) there is no need to make reference to political unification of the country in the second half of the 19th century: We can refer to a much older tradition of thought that rather marks the persistence of a cultural approach, despite chequered political and social vicissitudes. The fact is that the cultural unification of Italy came long before its political unification. Since every culture can be considered as an interpretation of human nature, it is legitimate to wonder whether there is a propensity of Italian culture towards a specific doctrine of natural law.