Contests about Natural Law in Early Enlightenment Copenhagen
(2016) In History of European Ideas 42(8). p.1027-1041- Abstract
This article discusses the works of the first two lecturers on natural law in Copenhagen, Henrik Weghorst and Christian Reitzer. Contrary to the existing scholarship which characterises their works as derivative of either Grotius or Pufendorf, the article argues that the character and significance of these works can only be grasped when understood in light of the local intellectual traditions which they built upon. Seen against this background, it becomes clear that Weghorst and Reitzer developed significantly different theories of natural law, disagreeing on such fundamental issues as the definition of law, the moral good, and the role of sociality in natural law. Following a tradition of Christian natural law in Kiel, Weghorst... (More)
This article discusses the works of the first two lecturers on natural law in Copenhagen, Henrik Weghorst and Christian Reitzer. Contrary to the existing scholarship which characterises their works as derivative of either Grotius or Pufendorf, the article argues that the character and significance of these works can only be grasped when understood in light of the local intellectual traditions which they built upon. Seen against this background, it becomes clear that Weghorst and Reitzer developed significantly different theories of natural law, disagreeing on such fundamental issues as the definition of law, the moral good, and the role of sociality in natural law. Following a tradition of Christian natural law in Kiel, Weghorst developed a theory of natural law fundamentally critical of the secularising theories of Grotius and Pufendorf, while Reitzer followed Pufendorf and his disciple Christian Thomasius in Halle. The article concludes by indicating how Weghorst’s and Reitzer’s works established the framework for discussions of natural law in the first decades of the eighteenth century, suggesting the need for further research into the significance of natural law for the early enlightenment in Denmark–Norway.
(Less)
- author
- Jensen, Mads Langballe LU
- publishing date
- 2016-11-16
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Denmark–Norway, enlightenment, Hugo Grotius, Natural law, Samuel Pufendorf
- in
- History of European Ideas
- volume
- 42
- issue
- 8
- pages
- 15 pages
- publisher
- Pergamon Press Ltd.
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:84976886525
- ISSN
- 0191-6599
- DOI
- 10.1080/01916599.2016.1182045
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- additional info
- Publisher Copyright: © 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
- id
- 81caafb6-c7f2-4fcb-bc28-4cf05a3862b6
- date added to LUP
- 2023-11-01 09:39:06
- date last changed
- 2023-11-02 16:28:53
@article{81caafb6-c7f2-4fcb-bc28-4cf05a3862b6,
abstract = {{<p>This article discusses the works of the first two lecturers on natural law in Copenhagen, Henrik Weghorst and Christian Reitzer. Contrary to the existing scholarship which characterises their works as derivative of either Grotius or Pufendorf, the article argues that the character and significance of these works can only be grasped when understood in light of the local intellectual traditions which they built upon. Seen against this background, it becomes clear that Weghorst and Reitzer developed significantly different theories of natural law, disagreeing on such fundamental issues as the definition of law, the moral good, and the role of sociality in natural law. Following a tradition of Christian natural law in Kiel, Weghorst developed a theory of natural law fundamentally critical of the secularising theories of Grotius and Pufendorf, while Reitzer followed Pufendorf and his disciple Christian Thomasius in Halle. The article concludes by indicating how Weghorst’s and Reitzer’s works established the framework for discussions of natural law in the first decades of the eighteenth century, suggesting the need for further research into the significance of natural law for the early enlightenment in Denmark–Norway.</p>}},
author = {{Jensen, Mads Langballe}},
issn = {{0191-6599}},
keywords = {{Denmark–Norway; enlightenment; Hugo Grotius; Natural law; Samuel Pufendorf}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{11}},
number = {{8}},
pages = {{1027--1041}},
publisher = {{Pergamon Press Ltd.}},
series = {{History of European Ideas}},
title = {{Contests about Natural Law in Early Enlightenment Copenhagen}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01916599.2016.1182045}},
doi = {{10.1080/01916599.2016.1182045}},
volume = {{42}},
year = {{2016}},
}