Between Legality and Morality (The Conflict Between Natural Law and Legal Positivism in Defining the Nature of Law)

Ifalldi Restu Ilahi

Authors

Ifalldi Restu Ilahi University of Bengkulu

Keywords:

Nature of Law; Natural Law; Legal Positivism; Morality; Justice.

Abstract

Law is not only concerned with order and legal certainty but also raises philosophical questions concerning the relationship between legality, morality, and justice. Natural law holds that true law must be connected to morality and justice, whereas legal positivism determines the validity of law based on its source, procedure, and system of enactment, regardless of moral judgments concerning its content. This difference raises the question of the status of rules that are procedurally valid but conflict with morality and justice. This article aims to analyze the tension between natural law and legal positivism concerning the nature of law and its relevance to the Indonesian legal system. This study employs a normative-juridical method with conceptual and philosophical approaches. The findings indicate that natural law and legal positivism emphasize different aspects in understanding the nature of law. In the Indonesian context, Pancasila as the legal ideal (rechtsidee) plays a role in harmonizing legal certainty, justice, and utility as complementary values in the formation and application of law.

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