A common objection to the existence of Natural Law concerns the diversity of moral life and thought across societies. Given that the Natural Law tradition flowered in the West, this raises the question of whether the concept of Natural Law is merely an expression of Western cultural beliefs or philosophical principles. Drawing on his recent book, Tanaka Kōtarō and World Law: Rethinking the Natural Law Outside the West, Professor Kevin M. Doak (Georgetown University) explored this question through the jurisprudence of Tanaka Kōtarō (1890-1974). One of the 20th-century’s most distinguished jurists, Tanaka served as chief justice of the Supreme Court of Japan, and as a judge on the International Court of Justice at The Hague. In his monumental A Theory of World Law (1932-1934), he outlined a globalist natural law theory called World Law. Professor Doak showed how Tanaka’s jurisprudence opens new ways of thinking about the Natural Law, particularly in relation to civil law and world society. He also answered questions from attendees regarding the relation of Tanaka’s insights to legal realism, 20th-century geopolitical affairs, and philosophical anthropology.

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Globalism and Natural Law

March 3, 2020

The Red Lounge, Stanford Faculty Club

439 Lagunita Dr, Stanford, CA 94305

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