Hugo Grotius

1583–1645

Nationality: Dutch

Historical Period: The Early Modern Period

Hugo Grotius (1583-1645) was a Dutch scholar and jurist whose legal masterpiece, De Jure Belli ac Pacis (On the law of war and peace) (1625), contributed significantly to the formation of international law as a distinct discipline. In addition to that work, Grotius wrote a number of literary pieces of lasting merit, including Sacra (a collection of Latin poems) and the drama Christus Patiens. Like Erasmus, Grotius sought to end the religious schism and urged the papacy to reconcile with the Protestant faiths.

See the Liberty Matters online discussion of Hugo Grotius on War and the State

Quotes from Hugo Grotius:

• Hugo Grotius on the natural sociability of humans
• Hugo Grotius on Moderation in Despoiling the Country of one’s Enemies

Titles from Hugo Grotius:

• Author: BOLL 56: Hugo Grotius, “The Preliminary Discourse Concerning the Certainty of Right” (1625)
• Author: Commentary on the Law of Prize and Booty
• Author: The Free Sea (Hakluyt trans.)
• Author: The Freedom of the Seas (Latin and English version, Magoffin trans.)
• Author: The Rights of War and Peace (1901 ed.)
• Author: The Rights of War and Peace (2005 ed.) 3 vols