Pascal and the natural law

Authors

  • Christian Lazzeri GDR-CNRS 988 "Philosophie éthique et politique au XVIIe siècle"

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31649/sent01.01.123

Keywords:

theories of social contract, theories of natural law, political philosophy, Grotius, Hobbes, Modern philosophy

Abstract

The article examines the problem of Pascal's attitude to the concept of natural law in the context of a new way of understanding politics. This way emerged after the skeptical crisis of the late 16th century, along with attempts to scientifically justify natural law, which was intended to become the backbone of a new type of society. Pascal subjected this justification to radical criticism. Yet it is difficult to classify Pascal's position, because, on the one hand, it falls behind the mainstream of modern political philosophy, and on the other hand, it opens the way to a non-legal analysis of politics. It is this analysis that constitutes an alternative to the constructions of philosophers who were committed to the concept of the social contract.

References

Grotius,H. (1984). Du droit de la guerre et de la paix. Caen: Presses Universitaires de Caen.

Haggenmacher, P. (1983).Grotius et la doctrine de la guerre juste. Paris: PUF. https://doi.org/10.4000/books.iheid.605

Hobbes, J. (1971). Léviathan. (F. Tricaud, Trans.). Paris: Sirey.

Hobbes, J. (1977). Elements of law. Paris: L’Hermès.

Hobbes, J. (1981). De cive. Paris: Sirey.

Hobbes, T. (1839-1845). De corpore. In T. Hobbes, Opera latina (Vol. I). (W. Molesworth, Ed.). London: John Bohn.

Lazzeri, C. (1993). Force et justice dans la politique de Pascal. Paris: PUF. https://doi.org/10.3917/puf.lazze.1993.01

Lazzeri, C. (1998). Droit, pouvoir et liberté. Spinoza critique de Hobbes. Paris: PUF.

Pascal, B. (1963). Œuvres complètes. Paris: Le Seuil.

Villey, M. (1975). La formation de la pensée juridique moderne. Paris : Montchretien.

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Published

2000-06-26

How to Cite

Lazzeri, C. . (2000). Pascal and the natural law . Sententiae, 1(1), 123–140. https://doi.org/10.31649/sent01.01.123

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