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Why did the Nazi regime lead to renewed interest in natural-law theory after World War II?

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Painting by Rembrandt showing Aristotle in rich dark clothing with a gold chain, resting his hand thoughtfully on a marble bust of Homer, illuminated against a dark background. — natural law *Aristotle Contemplating the Bust of Homer*, oil on canvas by Rembrandt van Rijn, 1653; in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

The Nazi regime’s actions during World War II sparked a significant mid-20th-century revival of natural law theory because the regime was widely perceived as having been essentially lawless, despite its adherence to a significant body of positive law.1

This revival was driven by the moral necessity to address the "problem of the Nazis." Although the Nazi state operated under a legal system that authorized the systematic violation of life, property, and liberty based on ethnicity and religion, the post-war trials of Nazi officials for these "lawful" actions created a profound legal dilemma.2

For many natural-law theorists, the Nazi legal system was not a true instance of law but a defective one, justifying the prosecution of officials for their grossly immoral conduct. This perspective provided a framework to hold individuals accountable for actions that were technically legal under the regime but fundamentally unjust. Consequently, the need to challenge the unjust laws of a state inspired a renewed appeal to principles of justice and right that are considered natural rather than merely conventional.21