Cicero - On the Law

Author: (Ancient Rome) Cicero
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-02-01
Features: Marcus Tullius Cicero (Marcus Tullius Cicero, 106 BC – 43 BC) was one of the most talented men in Ancient Rome. He not only served as a consul, praetor, and member of the Senate but was also an active participant in political activities. Moreover, he was one of the greatest orators, philosophers, and prose writers of his time. His name is inseparable from Ancient Rome, and his history is intertwined with the history of Western humanism. He achieved great success in various fields such as rhetoric, law, philosophy, political science, and literature. Due to his contributions, for a long period in history, people almost only learned about the rich philosophical and cultural thoughts of Ancient Greece through him. His political thought had a significant impact on Roman law and later Western political and legal systems. He elevated Roman prose to its peak, becoming the father of Greek and Roman culture. With profound and extensive eloquence, his speeches were powerful and resounding, setting an immortal example for later generations. His essays were clear and well-organized, with exquisite use of language, especially the selected essays in this book, which were lucid, magnificent, and crystal clear, like pearls in the treasure trove of Western literature. Essentially, Cicero was a thinker. His political thought was a transformation of various schools of thought, combined with the history and reality of Roman society. In his work On the Laws, he systematically elaborated on legal theory. In On the Laws, Cicero, based on Stoic views, believed that natural law, i.e., correct reason, was the true law and the standard for judging right and wrong; God was the creator, interpreter, and guardian of natural law; written laws must conform to natural law, otherwise they could not be considered true laws. In his view, natural law, reason, and God were united, while justice, goodness, and written laws were their manifestations. Before this sacred natural law, all people were equal, not in terms of equal property, but in the sharing of reason.