Law, Justice, and Charity in a Divided Christendom: 1500–1625
Law, Justice, and Charity in a Divided Christendom: 1500–1625
During the Reformation, new interpretations of Christianity were developed—with important consequences for international relations. Taking the thought of Thomas Aquinas as their starting point, Catholic scholars like Francisco de Vitoria argued for a natural law for all but they insisted that human beings were also obliged by Christian duties and commitments. These duties could only be fulfilled within the Catholic Church. Protestants rejected these claims and argued instead for one single set of ethical obligations, which were the duties of natural law. For them, natural law included both secular and religious principles, and it applied across national and political boundaries. The radical effects of this concept can be seen in the anonymously written Vindiciae, Contra Tyrannos. This chapter considers arguments on both sides of the confessional divide before discussing the Dutch scholar Hugo Grotius and his attempt to provide a new synthesis.
Keywords: natural law, Thomas Aquinas, Francisco Vitoria, charity, Hugo Grotius, Vindiciae, Contra Tyrannos
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