De Iure Belli Ac Pacis Libre Tres, In Quibus Ius Naturae Et Gentium, Item Juris Publici Praecipua Explicantur (Latin Edition)

Grotius, Hugo. De Iure Belli Ac Pacis Libri Tres, In Quibus Ius Naturae Et Gentium, Item Juris Publici Praecipua Explicantur. Cum Annotatis Auctoris. Edited by P.C. Molhuysen. Preface by C. Van Vollenhoven. Leiden: A.W. Sijthoff. 1919. xv, 752 pp. Reprinted 2005 by The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. ISBN 1-58477-539-4. Cloth.

* Reprint of the standard critical Latin edition of Grotius's magnum opus of 1625, which established the framework of modern international law. Grotius describes the situations in which war is a valid tool of law enforcement and outlines the principles of armed combat. Though based on Christian natural law, Grotius advanced the novel argument that his system would still be valid if it lacked a divine basis. In this regard he pointed to the future by moving international law in a secular direction. A work of painstaking philological research, this edition is based on the final version edited by the author, which issued posthumously in 1646. Differences between this edition and those of 1632 and 1642 are noted and the author of each text quotation is identified with reference to modern editions. A list of Grotius's citations is also included.