Legal Definitions - ex natura

Ex natura is a Latin phrase meaning "naturally" or "according to nature." It refers to something that arises inherently, intrinsically, or as an inevitable consequence of its own being or the natural order of things, without the need for specific human intervention, law, or agreement. It describes characteristics, rights, or outcomes that are considered self-evident or fundamental.

• Imagine a contract for the sale of a rare, one-of-a-kind antique vase. Before the sale is finalized and the vase is delivered, a sudden, unforeseen earthquake completely shatters the vase into irreparable pieces. The seller's inability to deliver the vase, and thus fulfill the contract, arises ex natura.

  This illustrates the term because the impossibility of performance is not due to a legal technicality or a party's fault, but rather an inherent, natural event that made the subject of the contract cease to exist in its original form.

• Consider the philosophical concept that all individuals possess certain fundamental human rights, such as the right to life or liberty, simply by virtue of being human, rather than these rights being granted by a government or a specific law. These rights are often considered to exist ex natura.

  Here, the term highlights that these rights are seen as inherent and intrinsic to human existence itself, not as creations of legal systems or societal agreements, but as naturally belonging to every person.

• Suppose a legal agreement is made where one party promises to personally transport a large, fully grown oak tree across an ocean using only their bare hands. The impossibility of fulfilling such a promise would be understood to arise ex natura.

  This example demonstrates the term because the task is physically impossible for any human being due to natural limitations, not because of a specific legal prohibition or a contractual clause. The inability to perform is a natural consequence of human physical capabilities.