Natural Law, Marriage, and the Common Good: Perspectives from Aquinas and Maritain

Marriage as an institution has been undergoing a shift in perspectives and faces various challenges brought about by pluralism. Subjective accounts often regard marriage as a mere social construct. With this in mind, this paper seeks to recover a deeper understanding of marriage by demonstrating how Natural Law serves as its foundational basis. Following the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas and his twentieth-century follower, the Thomist Jacques Maritain, this paper presents that marriage is not merely a social invention, but a reality rooted in the ontological structure of the human person. As such, marriage is a natural good that fulfills humanity’s inclination toward communion and procreation, thereby contributing not only to the flourishing of individuals but also to the building of the common good of society.