EXHIBIT 5


August 9, 2005





Ashland Inc.
50 E. RiverCenter Blvd.
Covington, KY 41012

Gentlemen:

         As Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Ashland
Inc. ("Ashland"),  a Kentucky corporation,  I have examined and am familiar
with such  documents,  corporate  records and other  instruments  as I have
deemed  necessary  for the  purposes  of this  opinion,  including  (i) the
following  plans (the  "Plans"):  the Ashland  Inc.  Stock  Option Plan for
Employees of Joint Ventures;  the 1993 Stock Incentive Plan; the 1997 Stock
Incentive Plan; the Amended and Restated  Ashland Inc.  Incentive Plan; the
Ashland Inc.  Deferred  Compensation Plan for Non-Employee  Directors;  the
Ashland Inc. Deferred Compensation Plan for Non-Employee  Directors (2005);
the Ashland Inc.  Deferred  Compensation  Plan for  Employees  (2005);  the
Ashland Inc. Deferred  Compensation Plan; the Ashland Inc. Employee Savings
Plan; and the Ashland Inc.  Leveraged  Employee Stock  Ownership  Plan; and
(ii) the corporate  proceedings of Ashland taken to adopt each of the Plans
and the registration  statements,  including  post-effective  amendments to
registration  statements,  on Form  S-8 or Form S-3  (each a  "Registration
Statement")  to be  filed  by  Ashland  with the  Securities  and  Exchange
Commission  for the  registration  under  the  Securities  Act of 1933,  as
amended of the following shares of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share,
of Ashland ("Common Stock"):

     (a) an aggregate  of 876,310  shares of Common Stock under the Ashland
     Inc. Stock Option Plan for Employees of Joint Ventures;

     (b)  2,900,000  shares of Common Stock under the 1993 Stock  Incentive
     Plan;

     (c)  3,212,000  shares of Common Stock under the 1997 Stock  Incentive
     Plan;

     (d) an aggregate of 4,463,553 shares of Common Stock under the Amended
     and Restated Ashland Inc. Incentive Plan;

     (e) 500,000  shares of Common  Stock under the Ashland  Inc.  Deferred
     Compensation Plan for Non-Employee Directors;




     (f) 500,000  shares of Common  Stock under the Ashland  Inc.  Deferred
     Compensation Plan for Non-Employee Directors (2005);

     (g) 500,000  shares of Common  Stock under the Ashland  Inc.  Deferred
     Compensation Plan for Employees (2005);

     (h) 500,000  shares of Common  Stock under the Ashland  Inc.  Deferred
     Compensation Plan;

     (i) 2,618,657  shares of Common Stock under the Ashland Inc.  Employee
     Savings Plan; and

     (j) 10,280,022 shares of Common Stock under the Ashland Inc. Leveraged
     Employee Stock Ownership Plan.

            Based  upon  the  foregoing,  I am of  the  opinion  that  when
certificates  for such  shares of  Common  Stock  have been duly  executed,
countersigned by a Transfer Agent, registered by a Registrar of Ashland and
paid for in accordance with applicable law and delivered in accordance with
the terms of each Plan,  such shares of the Common Stock will upon issuance
thereof be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

            I hereby  consent  to the use of my  opinion  for  filing as an
exhibit to each Registration Statement.

                                          Very truly yours,


                                                /s/ David L. Hausrath
                                          -------------------------------
                                          David L. Hausrath