Add this content to my existing course

Early Theory of International Law

Dutch diplomat and scholar Hugo Grotius is commonly regarded as one of the founders of international law theory. He understood natural law as universal rules of conduct that supersede the man-made laws commonly known as positive law. Grotius believed states should not impose their ideologies upon each other and should not interfere in each other’s domestic affairs.

In Chapter 1 of De Jure Belli Ac Pacis (On the Law of War and Peace), Grotius lays out the conditions under which war is called for.

Chapter 1: On War and Right

Not yet saved

Browser Person

Click the link at left to read Chapter 1 of De Jure Belli Ac Pacis, then answer the following questions.

How does Grotius define war etymologically?
In section 10, what does Grotius say is the source of natural rights?
How does Grotius distinguish natural rights that are understood to be human law from those that are just by way of accommodation?
What kind of "law of nature" does Grotius say even God cannot change? List at least two examples.
What does Grotius say about the differences between man and animals when it comes to law?
How does Grotius prove the existence of the Law of Nature in section 12?
How does Grotius define divine voluntary right, and what are the three periods in time in which these rights were established with men?
How does Grotius relate the Bible to a philosophy on the law of war and peace?
In the context of this chapter, do you consider U.S. participation in World War II to have been a just act? Explain your answer.