Passage A: Legal positivism asserts that the validity of a law depends entirely on its source and its enactment by a recognized authority, not on its moral content. Under this view, a law is a law, regardless of whether it is just or unjust. This clarity is essential for a stable society, as it prevents individuals from selectively obeying only the laws they personally find morally acceptable. Passage B: The theory of natural law suggests that laws derive their authority from universal moral principles. A law that violates fundamental human rights is not a valid law at all; it is a perversion of justice. When the state enacts immoral statutes, citizens have not only a right but a moral obligation to challenge or even ignore such mandates in the name of a higher justice.