Primary Sources
Grotius, Hugo. Annales et Historiae de Rebus Belgicis [De rebus belgicis, or, The annals and history of the Low-Countrey-warrs]. Translated by Thomas Manley. London: Twyford and Paulet, 1665.1
Grotius, Hugo. Defensio Fidei Catholicae de Satisfactione Christi, adversus Faustum Socinum Senensem [A Defence of the Catholick Faith Concerning the Satisfaction of Christ]. Translated by W.H. London: Thomas Parkhurst, 1692.
Grotius, Hugo. De iure belli ac pacis libri tres [The Rights of War and Peace, Books I-III]. Translated by Richard Tuck. Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 2005.
Grotius, Hugo. De jure praedae commentarius [Commentary on the Law of Prize and Booty]. Edited and with an introduction by Martine Julia van Ittersum. Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 2006.
Grotius, Hugo. Mare Liberum [The Freedom of the Seas]. Translated by Ralph van Deman Magoffin. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1916.
Locke, John. 1823. The Works of John Locke : A New Edition, Corrected, in Ten Volumes. Two Treatises of Government. London: Printed for Thomas Tegg.
- During the research process, I learned that Grotius had many published works, but that efforts are still being made to chronicle and find copies of them all. Additionally, many references that were made to his writings in my research were typically to chapters of one of his two major works, De iure belli and De jure praedae. Most of his philosophy and ideas are captured within those books. ↩︎
Secondary Sources
Blom, Andrew. “Grotius, Hugo.” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Accessed October 14, 2025. https://iep.utm.edu/grotius/.
Forde, Steven. “Hugo Grotius on Ethics and War.” The American Political Science Review 92, no. 3 (1998): 639–48. https://doi.org/10.2307/2585486.
Forde’s article on Hugo Grotius examines his controversial position in European philosophy and the ethics of his beliefs. He discusses Grotian philosophy, especially its positioning of natural law and the theory of natural rights. The most important element of this article, however, is Forde’s exploration of Grotius’s uncertainty and balancing act between natural law and certain permissions of unjust actions. These contribute to a foundational understanding of Grotian war and natural law philosophy, both of which are the subjects of many of his works.
Miller, Jon. “Hugo Grotius.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, January 8, 2021. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/grotius/#LifeWork.
Schneewind, J. B. “Kant and Natural Law Ethics.” Ethics 104, no. 1 (1993): 53–74. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2381693.
Though the article is titled “Kant and Natural Law Ethics”, many references are made to the foundational work Hugo Grotius did in establishing a natural law theory amongst philosophers of the 17th century. It includes a number of references in both the article, as well as the footnotes, to Grotius’ philosophy and ideas. This article provides a stronger understanding of the long-standing influence Grotius has had on other great thinkers.
Thomson, Erik. “The Dutch Miracle, Modified; Hugo Grotius’s Mare Liberum, Commercial Governance and Imperial War in the Early-Seventeenth Century.” Grotiana 30 (2009): 107-130.
Thomson’s article provides important historical context for Grotian philosophy and explores the economic and imperial activities of the Dutch at the time. It investigates Grotius’ piece Mare Liberum, or The Freedom of the Seas, in a broader perspective of European imperialism at the time. The purpose is primarily to provide historical context for Grotius’ ideas, and how his interpretation of political and economic events in Holland drove him to embed certain beliefs into his political writings.
Image Citations
Front Page Image
“Hugo Grotius.” Encyclopædia Britannica. August 24, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hugo-Grotius#/media/1/246809/11254. Accessed September 28, 2025.
Statue Image
expatINFO. September 16, 2017. “Hugo Grotius Statue in Delft.” ExpatINFO Holland. https://expatinfoholland.nl/netherlands-overview/dutch-history-monuments/hugo-grotius-statue-on-delft-markt-square/.
Loevestein Castle Image
“A Day at Loevestein – Slot Loevestein – Rijksmuseum.” 2025. Slot Loevestein – Rijksmuseum. June 12, 2025. https://www.slotloevestein.nl/en/a-day-at-loevestein/.
Black and White Portrait of Grotius
Hugo Grotius. Hugo Grotius | Dutch Statesman, Jurist & Scholar. Encyclopædia Britannica, n.d. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hugo-Grotius#/media/1/246809/157850.
Portrait of John Locke
John Locke. Locke, John | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, n.d. https://iep.utm.edu/locke/.
U.S. Capitol House Chamber Portrait
Jennewein, C. Paul. Hugo Grotius Relief Portrait | Architect of the Capitol. Architect of the Capitol. Accessed November 23, 2025. https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/art/hugo-grotius-relief-portrait.