Kantian Natural Law: A Bibliography

Source: In Kant's The Philosophy of Law: An Exposition of the Fundamental Principles of Jurisprudence as the Science of Right, trans. W. Hastie (Edinburgh: Clark, 1887).

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE.

Röder remarks (i. 254) that by far the most of the later philosophical writers on Natural Right—‘nomen illis legio!’—follow the system of Kant and Fichte, which is in the main identical in principle with that of Thomasius. It was impossible to refer to them in detail in these prefatory remarks, but it may be useful to quote the following as the more important works on the subject from this standpoint since the appearance of Kant’s Rechtslehre:—

A. Mellin, Grundlegung zur Metaphysik der Rechte, 1796.

P. J. A. Feuerbach, Kritik des natürlichen Rechts, 1796.

H. Stephani, Grundlinien der Rechtswissenschaft, 1797.

Ph. Schmutz, Erklärung der Rechte des Menschen u. des Bürgers, 1798. Handbuch der Rechtsphilosophie, 1807.

R. Gerstäcker, Metaphysik des Rechts, 1802.

L. Bendavid, Versuch einer Rechtslehre, 1802.

K. H. v. Gros, Lehrbuch des Naturrechts, 1802. 6 Ausg. 1841.

Friès, Philosophische Rechtslehre u. Kritik aller positiven Gesetz Gebung, 1803.

L. N. Jacob, Philosophische Rechtslehre, 2 A. 1802.

K. S. Zachariä, Anfangsgründe der Philosoph. Privatrechts, 1804. Philosophische Rechtslehre o. Naturrecht u. Staatslehre, 1819. Vierzig Bucher vom Staate, 1839-43.

Chr. Weiss, Lehrbuch der Philosophie des Rechts, 1804.

A. Bauer, Lehrbuch des Naturrechts, 1808. 3 Ausg. 1825.

J. C. F. Meister, Lehrbuch des Naturrechts, 1809.

Dresch, Systematische Entwickelung der Grundbegriffe u. Grundprinzipien des gesammten Privatrechts, Staatsrechts, und Volkerrechts, 1810, 1822.

V. Zeiller, Naturrecht, 1813.

W. F. Krug, Dikäologie oder philosophische Rechtslehre, 1817, 1830.

Eschenmeyer, Normalrecht, 2 Thle. 1819.

S. Beck, Lehrbuch des Naturrechts, 1820.

V. Droste-Hülshoff, Lehrbuch des Naturrechts o. der Rechtsphilosophie, 1823, 1831.

Pölitz, Natur- und Volkerrecht, Staats- und Staatenrecht, 1823, 1825.

J. Haus, Elementa doctrinæ philosophiæ sive juris naturalis. Gondavi, 1824.

K. von Rotteck, Lehrbuch des Vernunftrechts und der Staatswissenschaft, 4 Bde. 1829-34, 1841.

Ant. Virozsil, Epitome juris naturalis. Pesthini, 1839.

F. Fischer, Naturrecht und natürliche Staatslehre, 1848.

G. Schilling, Lehrbuch des Naturrechts, 1859.

Besides these a considerable number of similar German works might be referred to by Schaumann, Heydenreich, Klein, A. Thomas, Weiss, J. K. Schmid, T. M. Zachariä, Stöckhardt, E. Reinhold, Schnabel, Pfitzer, and others.

Of the French works, from the Kantian standpoint, may be quoted (Ahrens, i. 326):—

M. Bussart, Elements de droit naturel privé. Fribourg en Suisse, 1836.

V. Belime, Philosophie du droit. Paris, 1844, 4 ed. 1881.

In Italy, where the Philosophy of Law has been cultivated ‘with great zeal and intelligence’ (Ahrens, i. 327; Röder, Krit. Zeitschrift für Rechtswiss. xv. 1, 2, 3), the Kantian system has been ably discussed by Mancini, Mamiani, Rosmini, Poli, and others. Its chief representatives have been—

Baroli, Diritto naturale privato e publico, 6 vol. Cremona, 1837.

Tolomei, Corso elementare di diritto naturale, 2 ed. Padova, 1855.

Soria di Crispan, Filosofia di diritto publico. (Philosophie du droit public. Brux. 1853-4.) Transl. into French.

Rosmini-Serbati, Filosofia del diritto, 1841. (In part Kantian.)

[Since writing the foregoing Preface there has come to hand the important work, ‘La Vita del Diritto, nei suoi rapporti colla Vita Sociale: Studio comparativo di Filosofia Giuridica. Per Giusseppe Carle, Professore ordinario di Filosofia de Diritto nella R. Universita di Torino.’ Its comprehensive method and profound insight add to the already ample evidence of the ‘great zeal and intelligence’ with which the Philosophy of Law is now being cultivated by the countrymen of Vico, the natural successors of Antistius Labeo, and Papinian. Professor Carle points out the relation of Kant not only to Rosmini, but also to Mamiani and others. His view of the importance and influence of the Kantian System is in accord with the brief indications ventured in these Prefatory hints. It is impossible to quote his exposition here, but attention may be directed to P. ii. L. i. Cap. ii. § 3, ‘Emmanuele Kant come iniziatore del metodo rationale nello studio del diritto naturale;’ and L. ii. Cap. v. ‘Ulteriore svolgimento,’ etc.—Tr.]