For human law to be legitimate, it must do which of the following?

• A. In order to be legitimate, human law must be consistent with laws of God, conform to the natural law, and promote the good of society
• B. It can contradict natural law if it benefits the majority
• C. It is always absolute even if unjust
• D. It is independent of divine or natural law

Answer: (A)

Legitimate human law rests on alignment with a higher moral order: divine law and natural law, and it must aim at the common good. When a law reflects God’s law and the universal norms discerned by reason in natural law, it derives its rightful authority and just authority over people. If a law violates natural law or divine law, it loses legitimacy because it would be serving something other than objective right and the true good of all members of society. Likewise, a law should promote the common good, not just the interests of a powerful group, the majority, or those in power.

That’s why laws that contradict natural or divine law aren’t truly legitimate, and why the idea that a law could be absolute even if unjust doesn't fit with the standard for legitimate law. And a claim that law stands independently of divine or natural law also falls short, since legitimacy is grounded in conformity to that higher moral order.