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Philosophy is derived from the Greek word, philosophia, PHILO and SOPHIA
wisdom --which literally means "love of wisdom. It is the study of general and
fundamental problems concerning matters such as existence, knowledge, values,
reason, mind, and language. The term was probably coined by Pythagoras (c. 570
c. 495 BC). Historically, "philosophy" encompassed any body of knowledge.
Studying philosophy aims for knowledge that unifies and systemized bodies of
sciences. It requires critical examination and It does not give definite answers.
Definite answers moves away from Philosophy i.e. Human mind in Psychology
The value of philosophy is sought largely in its very uncertainty. The essence of
philosophy is to ponder, to keep looking, quest for knowledge, to be hungry to seek
more knowledge (curiosity), uncertainty leads to greater possibilities.
Man tends to see the world as definite, finite and obvious. Thus unfamiliar
possibilities are rejected. Hence through Philosophy, the boxed ideas of man are
enlarged. It frees the mind from customs presented us. It free us from the fotress of
the body goods. We get involved in the outer world while we feed our inner soul.
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Enumerate approaches in Legal Theory according to Raymond Wacks.
Descriptive legal theory and Normative Legal theory are the approaches in Legal
Theory according to Raymond Wacks.
Yielding a perfect law is a problem of proving to mankind that the law was
something fixed and settled
Philosophy of aw attempts to give a rational account of the law of the time and
place, or attempts to formulate a general theory of the legal order to meet the needs
of some given period of legal development.
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Law in its specific and concrete sense is a rule of conduct, just, obligatory,
formulated by legitimate power for common observance and benefit. (Lapitan vs.
PCSO, 60 Official Gazette 6841)
Section 1. There shall be published in the Official Gazette [1] all important
legisiative acts and resolutions of a public nature of the, Congress of the
Philippines; [2] all executive and administrative orders and proclamations, except
such as have no general applicability; [3] decisions or abstracts of decisions of the
Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals as may be deemed by said courts of
sufficient importance to be so published; [4] such documents or classes of documents
as may be required so to be published by law; and [5] such documents or classes of
documents as the President of the Philippines shall determine from time to time to
have general applicability and legal effect, or which he may authorize so to be
published. ...
The clear object of the abovequoted provision is to give the general public adequate
notice of the various laws which are to regulate their actions and conduct as
citizens. Without such notice and publication, there would be no basis for the
application of the maxim "ignorantia legis non excusat." It would be the height of
injustice to punish or otherwise burden a citizen for the transgression of a law of
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which he had no notice whatsoever, not even a constructive one.
Law is the the witness and external deposit of our mora life.
If one wants to know the law and nothing else, you must look at it as a bad man,
who cares only for the material consequences which such knowledge enables him to
predict, not as a good one, who finds his reasons for conduct, whether inside the law
or outside of it, in vaguer sanctions of conscience.
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"A rule laid down for the guidance of an intelligent being by an intelligent being
having power over him."
Positive Law, then, flows from a determinate author who is sovereign, to a political
subordinate in subjection to the author, to which is annexed a sanction (eventual
evil), intended to enforce obedience. Determinate authors are Sovereign person(s),
subordinate person(s) politically superior to the one commanded, and subjects
(private persons) in pursuance of legal rights. (Lecture V)
Lecture VI
Every positive law is set by a sovereign person or body to the members of the
independent political society wherein that person or body is sovereign (supreme).
Distinguish a Sovereign from superiority or might. The bulk of the given society are
in a habit of obedience or submission to an independent, determinate, and common
superior. That individual or body (to whom such obedience is given) is not in a habit
of obedience to a determinate human superior.
Since bulk, habit of obedience, and independent are relative terms, the
abstraction of Sovereign or Independent Political Society cannot be precisely
defined. In such cases, the society (including its Sovereign) is a society political and
independent.
If a possible sovereign is in the habit of obedience to another, then that sovereign
(and its subjects) are not independent but rather a limb or member of the greater
society to which it habitually owes obedience.
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Independent political societies, then, can in some ways be said to live in a state of
nature with one another.
International Law is not positive law. The duties it imposes are only
enforced by moral sanctions, or fear of incurring the wrath of more powerful
sovereign(s).
Austin does not buy the concept of separation of the powers of sovereignty
(executive (including judicial), and legislative), because under any known system,
each distinct party to which those powers may be given also exercise other types of
powers.
Rather, he divides sovereignty into supreme and subordinate. The supreme are
the infinite political powers of the sovereign partly exercised and partly dormant,
but nevertheless existing. The subordinate are those portions of the supreme
powers of sovereignty which are delegated to political subordinates as ministers and
trustees. Therefore, there is no such thing as sovereign: Either the government at
issue is totally subordinate, or It is completely independent, or it is jointly sovereign
with the more powerful, and therefore simply a constituent member of the more
powerful sovereign.
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each of the forming states and also in the larger society formed. In such case
neither the central nor constituent governments are sovereign and supreme.
A System of Confederated States wherein each state is still truly sovereign,
and the acts of the central government are simply adopted, and enforced by, each
state without creating one single political society.
Liberty is, therefore, simply those areas which the sovereign has chooses to leave
within the discretion of the individual, realizing that the sovereign may at any time
abridge that liberty at its discretion.
Those who divide governments between free and despotic are simply lovers of
democracy. The true distinction is not the power of the government, for they all
truly have complete powers, rather whether it is so constituted as to be beneficial to
the people.
A sovereign is not subject to the civil law, because he would thus be subject to
himself. There are no sovereign rights with respect to the sovereigns relation to
its people. All rights have three parties: The government which sets the right and
enforces it, The ones on whom the right is conferred, The ones who have a relative
duty not to interfere with that right, The proper end of every government is the
happiness of the people, achieving this happiness promotes obedience, which is also
promoted by:
Custom
Prejudices (opinions and sentiments)
Habit
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The tactic or actual consent of the people is not the true origin or permanence of
government only that they wish to escape a state of nature by living in a
political society and therefore tolerate whatever government exists.
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Define Divine Law.
Divine law is derived from eternal law; divided into the Old and New Law. In the
Old and New Testaments of the Bible, the former refers to the 10 Commandments;
reaches humans through their capacity for fearlaw promised earthly reward and
the latter refers to the teachings of Jesus; reaches humans by the example of divine
lovepromises heavenly reward.
Law is not a matter of written statutes and lists of regulations but was a matter
deeply ingrained in the human spirit, one that was an integral part of the human
experience. Humans were created by a higher power. Law is whatever promotes
good and avoids evil. Law does not, and cannot begin with men. True law is right
reason in agreement with nature; a universal application, unchanging and
everlasting
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