Definitely, the idea of natural law implies a Creator or immanent ordering principle (the Logos, the Dharma) responsible for instilling purpose, or "virtual purpose", into the universe, which establishes normativity, and thus a means to derive the natural law.
However, there is an escape hatch. Since we have a stake in developing a coherent system of values, we can act as if there is a Deity, whether transcendent or immanent, and describe normativity and the natural law. Such an assumption can be taken as merely a tool, given the idea that we are valuing creatures who need to reason and discuss values, and therefore require a framework permitting rationalization and meaningful discourse. |
