From Rothbard’s Conceived in Liberty (Vol. 1, Part 2, Chapter 3; p. 56):
“That the seas were to be open to all and free from government control was an idea that Grotius, the founder of international law, derived from Spanish philosophical thought, especially from the work of Francisco Suarez. Suarez had established the basis for international law by deducing from the variety of peoples and states that the unity of the human race can only be represented by a general rational international law, and not by a general political organization or domination, whether over the lands or over the seas.”
The audio version of Chapter 3 (“The Virginia Company”) is now available for download: Conceived in Liberty: The Audio Book.
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It wasn’t “Spanish philosophical thought.” Rothbard spells out in his history of economic thought that Grotius’ ideas came from the Christian scholars/theologians at the School of Salamanca in Spain. Orthodox Christianity, not philosophy, gave birth to modern liberty. Modern philosophy has given the world nothing but tyranny.
“Modern philosophy has given the world nothing but tyranny.”
Except Ayn Rand
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