Final answer:
Thomas Aquinas defined four types of laws: eternal, natural, human, and divine, emphasizing that human laws should align with natural law, an aspect of classical natural law theory. Aquinas's and Aristotle's ideas underline the importance of fundamental principles for upholding knowledge and ethics, aligning with natural law.
Step-by-step explanation:
Thomas Aquinas, a medieval theologian and philosopher, categorized laws into four types: eternal, natural, human, and divine. Eternal laws are principles that govern the universe, while natural laws rule the natural world, and human laws regulate societies. Divine laws, on the other hand, are beyond human reason and must be revealed by God, like the Ten Commandments or Scriptures. For Aquinas, it is crucial that human laws are in concert with natural law, stating that any human law that violates natural law is not a true law bu. This view is a core aspect of classical natural law theory, which posits laws as essential in maintaining a natural order and endorses the objectivity of values.
Aristotle similarly emphasized foundational principles in law and science, such as the law of noncontradiction, and stressed the importance of such laws in underpinning knowledge, reasoning, and language. The inclusion of such laws signifies the complexity and necessity of understanding laws in the context of ethical naturalism to grasp the intricate relationship between the rules of nature, human-made laws, and ethical considerations.