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Mises Economics Blog

No International Organization Over Land or Seas

February 8, 2008 10:31 AM by Mises.org Updates | Other posts by Mises.org Updates | Comments (2)

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.

Comments (2)

  • fundamentalist
  • 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.

  • Published: February 9, 2008 11:15 AM

  • Graham Nickols
  • "Modern philosophy has given the world nothing but tyranny."

    Except Ayn Rand

  • Published: February 11, 2008 12:46 AM

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