Question... Summarize Ch Wolff's position on civil war in Jus Gentium
Answer... Christian Wolff, a prominent 18th-century German philosopher, addressed the concept of civil war in his work "Jus Gentium." Wolff's position on civil war can be summarized as follows:
Wolff viewed civil war as a significant breach of the social contract and a breakdown of the rule of law within a society. He believed that the natural state of humanity was to live in a state of peace and that the fundamental purpose of political authority and government was to maintain that peace and order. Civil war, according to Wolff, was a grave threat to this essential objective.
Wolff argued that civil war was a manifestation of a failure of government, where a breakdown in the administration of justice, protection of rights, and maintenance of public order led to internal conflicts. He emphasized the importance of legitimate authority in preventing civil war, and he advocated for the establishment of just and effective legal systems as a means to prevent such conflicts.
In Wolff's view, civil war was destructive not only in terms of human lives and property but also because it hindered the development of human society and prosperity. He believed that societies could only flourish when governed by just laws and institutions, and civil war posed a direct threat to this development.
Overall, Wolff's position on civil war can be characterized as a rejection of such conflicts and a call for the establishment and maintenance of lawful and just governance to prevent them. His ideas were rooted in the broader Enlightenment emphasis on reason, order, and the rule of law as the foundations of a well-functioning society.
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More than a bit inaccurate. The breach was in rebellion, a form of unjust war: 1010, "Rebelles dicuntur fubditi, qui arma injufta fumunt adverfus Rectorem civitatis"; also 1011, "rebellio bellum civile non est [...] nec fubditi bellum civil excitantes funt rebelles."
But just revolt against the prince was civil war and could be justified: 1011, "Bellum vero civile dicitur , quo jufta arma adverfus Rectorem civitatis fumunt fubditi."
As expected, trash in, trash out.
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