In science, natural law is the physical laws of nature.
In legal philosophy, natural law is a set of universal truths, principles, and rules that properly govern moral human conduct. In contrast to positive law, natural law is pre-existing and discovered through human reason and rational analysis. From a natural law perspective, the purpose of laws and the judicial system is to become as close to natural law as possible.
See also: moral law
[Last updated in July of 2023 by the Wex Definitions Team]