▁think ▁that ▁this ▁cannot ▁be ▁better ▁exempl ified ▁than ▁with ▁regard ▁to ▁the ▁theory ▁of ▁the ▁equality ▁of ▁human ▁nature ." ▁Charles ▁H . ▁Mc Il w ain ▁like wise ▁obser ves ▁that ▁" the ▁idea ▁of ▁the ▁equality ▁of ▁men ▁is ▁the ▁most ▁prof ound ▁contribution ▁of ▁the ▁Sto ics ▁to ▁political ▁thought " ▁and ▁that ▁" its ▁greatest ▁influence ▁is ▁in ▁the ▁changed ▁conception ▁of ▁law ▁that ▁in ▁part ▁resulted ▁from ▁it . ▁ ▁Natural ▁law ▁first ▁appeared ▁among ▁the ▁sto ics ▁who ▁believed ▁that ▁God ▁is ▁everywhere ▁and ▁in ▁everyone ▁( see ▁classical ▁p ant he ism ). ▁According ▁to ▁this ▁belief , ▁within ▁humans ▁there ▁is ▁a ▁" div ine ▁spark " ▁which ▁helps ▁them ▁to ▁live ▁in ▁accord ance ▁with ▁nature . ▁The ▁sto ics ▁felt ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁way ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁universe ▁had ▁been ▁designed , ▁and ▁that ▁natural ▁law ▁helped ▁us ▁to ▁harm on ise ▁with ▁this . ▁ ▁An cient ▁Rome ▁▁ ▁Cic ero ▁wrote ▁in ▁his ▁De ▁Leg ibus ▁that ▁both ▁justice ▁and ▁law ▁origin ate ▁from ▁what ▁nature ▁has ▁given ▁to ▁human ity , ▁from ▁what ▁the ▁human ▁mind ▁em bra ces , ▁from ▁the ▁function ▁of ▁human ity , ▁and ▁from ▁what ▁serves ▁to ▁un ite ▁human ity . ▁For ▁Cic ero , ▁natural ▁law ▁oblig es ▁us ▁to ▁contribute ▁to ▁the ▁general ▁good ▁of ▁the ▁larger ▁society . ▁The ▁purpose ▁of ▁positive ▁laws ▁is ▁to ▁provide ▁for ▁" the ▁safety ▁of ▁citizens , ▁the ▁pres ervation ▁of ▁states ,