Plato and the Doctrine of Natural Law (Hans Kelsen)

I. IDEALISTIC AND REALISTIC DOCTRINE OF LAw
As a result of the shocks which the existing social orders have
experienced through two World Wars and the Russian Revolution,
an intellectual movement is becoming increasingly evident in the
Western World-one which, in sharp reaction to a scientific-positivistic
and relativistic philosophy, aims at a return to metaphysics and
theology, and-closely connected with this-to a renewal of the
doctrine of natural law. The proponents of this trend believe they
find valuable support in the philosophy of Plato, whose authority
until recently was virtually uncontested-and in this they are
justified.
Plato’s doctrine of Ideas is the boldest of metaphysical speculations,
for it transcends empirical reality farthest; and the intellectual sys
tem which he erected is in its total character more nearly theology
than scientific philosophy.

Read more