The Law of Nations: Or, Principles of the Law of Nature Applied to the Conduct and Affairs of Nations and Sovereigns

Emer de Vattel

Franklin Classics Trade Press

The Law of Nations

The great eighteenth-century theorist of international law Emer de Vattel (17141767) was a key figure in sustaining the practical and theoretical influence of natural jurisprudence through the Revolutionary and Napoleonic eras. Coming toward the end of the period when the discourse of natural law was dominant in European political theory, Vattel’s contribution is cited as a major source of contemporary wisdom on questions of international law in the American Revolution and even by opponents of revolution, such as Cardinal Consalvi, at the Congress of Vienna of 1815. Vattel broadly accepted the early-modern natural law theorists from Grotius onward but placed himself in the tradition of Leibniz and Christian Wolff. This becomes particularly clear in two valuable early essays that have never before been translated and are included in the present volume. On this philosophical basis he established what the proper relationship should be between natural law as it is applied to individuals and natural law as it is applied to states. The significance of The Law of Nations resides in its distillation from natural law of an apt model for international conduct of state affairs that carried conviction in both the Old Regime and the new political order of 17891815. The Liberty Fund edition is based on the anonymous English translation of 1797, which includes Vattel’s notes for the second French edition (posthumous, 1773). Emer de Vattel (17141767) was a Swiss philosopher and jurist in the service of Saxony. Béla Kapossy is Professeur Suppléant of History at the University of Lausanne. Richard Whatmore is a Reader in Intellectual History at the University of Sussex. Knud Haakonssen is Professor of Intellectual History at the University of Sussex, England.

Foreign & International Law

Liberty Fund

Excerpt from The Law of Nations, or Principles of the Law of Nature, Applied to the Conduct and Affairs of Nations and SovereignsMonfieur Wolf determines (jus Gent. 878) that it is naturally lawful to make ufe of poifoned weapons in war. I am [hocked at fnch a decifion, and forry to find it in the work of (0 great a man. Happily for the human race, it is' not difficult to prove the contrary, even fi'om Monfieur Wolf's own principles. What I have (aid on this fubjeét may be feen in Book III. 5 156.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

The Law of Nations, or Principles of the Law of Nature, Applied to the Conduct and Affairs of Nations and Sovereigns (Classic Reprint)

Forgotten Books

Excerpt from The Law of Nations, or Principles of the Law of Nature, Applied to the Conduct and Affairs of Nations and Sovereigns The maxims laid down in t chapter, -those sacred pre 9 20. Bal cepts of nature, - were for a long time unknown to nations. Mum, The ancients had no notion of any duty they owed to nations a menu with whom they were not united by treaties of friendship. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

The Law of Nations: Or Principles of the Law of Nature, Applied to the Conduct and Affairs of Nations and Sovereigns (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from The Law of Nations: Or, Principles of the Law of Nature, Applied to the Conduct and Affairs of Nations and SovereignsMany years have elapsed since the original work was pub lished, lon g before the invaluable decisions of Sir William Scott, Sir C. Robinson, and Sir J ohn N ichol, and other emi nent J udges in the Courts of Admiralty, and Prize and other Courts; and the last edition, upon which any care was be stowed, was published in A. D. 1797; since which time, and especially during the last general war, many most important rules respecting the Law of Nations were established. The object of the present Editor has, therefore, been to collect and condense, in numerous notes, the modem rules and decisions, and to fortify the positions in the text by references to other au thors of eminence, and by which he hopes that this edition will be found of more practical utility, without interfering with the text, or materially increasing its size.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

The Law of Nations: Or, Principles of the Law of Nature, Applied to the Conduct and Affairs of Nations and Sovereigns (Classic Reprint)

History