Hugo Grotius Quotes
Hugo Grotius was a Dutch jurist and philosopher who is widely regarded as the founder of modern international law. Against the religious and dynastic justifications for war that dominated his age, he argued for a body of natural law binding on sovereigns and grounded in human reason and sociability. The quotes below are attributed to Hugo Grotius, organized by topic.
Browse Hugo Grotius by topic
Hugo Grotius on Freedom
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Attributed to Hugo Grotius:
“The sea is common to all men and cannot be the property of any one nation.”
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“Liberty is the power that we have over ourselves.”
As quoted in The Word Book Complete Word Power Library , Volume 1 (1981), p. 324
Hugo Grotius on God
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“Even God cannot make two times two not make four.”
As quoted in Delbert D. Thiessen (ed.), A Sociobiology Compendium: Aphorisms, Sayings, Asides , p. 18
Hugo Grotius on Justice
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Attributed to Hugo Grotius:
“Where the rights of war are unsettled, those of peace will be unstable.”
Hugo Grotius on Knowledge
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“Not to know certain things is a great part of wisdom.”
As quoted in Wendy Toliver (ed.), The Little Giant Encyclopedia of Inspirational Quotes , p. 466
Hugo Grotius on Life
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“So is there no kind of life more wicked than that of mercenary Souldiers, who without any respect had to the equity of the Cause, fight only for plunder and pay.”
The Most Excellent Hugo Grotius His Three Books Treating of the Rights of War and Peace ... Translated Into English by W. Evats, B.D., p. 426
Hugo Grotius on Nature
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Attributed to Hugo Grotius:
“Even the will of an omnipotent being cannot change or abrogate the law of nature.”
Hugo Grotius on Politics
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Attributed to Hugo Grotius:
“A man cannot govern a nation if he cannot govern a city; he cannot govern a city if he cannot govern a family; he cannot govern a family unless he can govern himself; and he cannot govern himself unless his passions are subject to reason.”
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Attributed to Hugo Grotius:
“The state is a perfect body of free men, united for the enjoyment of right and the common interest.”
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“The Most Excellent Hugo Grotius His Three Books Treating of the Rights of War and Peace ... Translated Into English by W. Evats, B.D., p. 426”
So is there no kind of life more wicked than that of mercenary Souldiers, who without any respect had to the equity of the Cause, fight only for plunder and pay.