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How did Stoicism connect nature with moral law?

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Painting by Joseph Aubert of Saint Thomas Aquinas seated with a book, wearing a halo and black and white robes, surrounded by ornate patterns in St. Stephens Church, Jerusalem. — Western philosophy Painting of scholastic philosopher St. Thomas of Aquinas by Joseph Aubert, 1900.

In Western philosophy, Stoicism connects nature with moral law through the concept of the logos—a divine, rational principle that pervades and governs the entire cosmos.12

The Stoics believed that the world exhibits a grand, orderly arrangement, and because human beings possess the capacity for reason, they are uniquely capable of aligning their lives with this cosmic order. This alignment is the core of the Stoic mandate to "live in agreement with nature".12

Because this rational capacity is common to all people, the Stoics concluded that there is a universal natural law that transcends local customs or societal rules. This shared reason establishes a fundamental equality among all individuals, framing humanity as a single community of rational beings. Consequently, moral duty and justice are not arbitrary; they are derived from the necessity of acting in accordance with the rational, divine structure of the universe. By identifying with reason rather than physical desire, the individual acts in harmony with the world design, which the Stoics viewed as the only path to true virtue and happiness.34512