The Braniff Graduate School of Liberal Arts is pleased to host the conference, “What is Just According to Nature? A Dispute Between Thomas Aquinas and Leo Strauss.” Addressing the fundamental questions at the heart of natural law theory, the conference aims to clarify the ground of the disagreement between Thomas Aquinas and Leo Strauss on such questions as the knowability of natural law and the relation between theology and natural law. Although there are important affinities between the Straussian and Thomistic approaches to the question of natural justice—e.g., an understanding of nature as normative and of human nature as essentially unchanging throughout history, as well as a defense of the contemplation of the truth as the highest human activity—there are also important points of tension which, when examined, enable us to better see what is distinctive in each approach.  

To this end, the University of Dallas has invited a select group of scholars to discuss the basic themes of this dispute as framed by Dr. James Carey in his book, Natural Reason and Natural Law: An Assessment of the Straussian Criticisms of Thomas Aquinas. We envision the conference as a friendly dialogue between scholars whose thoughtful disagreement on this topic can help us to grasp the basic problems that inhere in the philosophic quest for justice. 

Full Schedule Can Be Seen Here.

The panel and keynote address will be available over Zoom. Access the Zoom link.