Review article
https://doi.org/10.31141/zrpfs.2018.55.130.893
Pufendorf's idea of moral natural law and its contemporary reverberations
Dragan Šmit
Abstract
Natural law as a foundation of a state, explained in a precise and scientific way, is the basis of the moral and political argument of Samuel von Pufendorf, which is considered to be his greatest contribution to political discourse. His work is the continuation of efforts to integrate the law of nature into the legal system, to build a society based the principles of respect and self-respect and scientifically opposes Aristotel’s claim that there cannot be social safety in the very moral of man. As the founder of the idea of moral natural law, Pufendorf has made an undoubtable contribution to the development of legal sciences by a singular, methodological mix of ethics, law, history, theology and politics. His ideas of federalism, dual sovereignty, state as a legal entity, preventive penology, a primate of secular powers and moral concepts of individuals on which states and federation of states is further founded on have unjustly been forgotten. Many attempts to revitalize his work have remained at the level of reducing this excellent scientist to a small little part of his work.
Keywords
Pufendorf; moral concepcts; Holy Roman Empire; natural law; social contract; state unions
Hrčak ID:
209891
URI
Publication date:
27.11.2018.
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