Natural Rights Theories Their Origin and Development [Paperback]

The origins of natural rights theories in medieval Europe and their development in the seventeenth century.Shows how political argument regarding rights and natural rights began in medieval Europe and how the theory of natural rights was developed in the 17th century. Examines the importance of Jean Gerson and Hugo Grotius to the formation and development of the theories and ideas of Selden, Hobbes, and Locke.Shows how political argument regarding rights and natural rights began in medieval Europe and how the theory of natural rights was developed in the 17th century. Examines the importance of Jean Gerson and Hugo Grotius to the formation and development of the theories and ideas of Selden, Hobbes, and Locke.This book shows how political argument in terms of rights and natural rights began in medieval Europe, and how the theory of natural rights was developed in the seventeenth century after a period of neglect in the Renaissance. Dr Tuck provides a new understanding of the importance of Jean Gerson in the formation of the theories, and of Hugo Grotius in their development; he also restores the Englishman John Selden's ideas to the prominence they once enjoyed, and shows how Thomas Hobbes's political theory can best be understood against this background. In general, the book enables us to understand more fully the characteristics of the natural rights theories available to the men of the Enlightenment, and thereby to appreciate the complexity and equivocal nature of modern right theories.Preface; Introduction; 1. The first rights theory; 2. The Renaissance; 3. Hugo Grotius; 4. John Selden; 5. Selden's followers; 6. Thomas Hobbes; 7. The radical theory; 8. The recovery and repudiation of Grotius; Conclusion; Index.' & Dr Tuck has provided philosophers with a mine of historical material with which they can enrich their discussions not only of Hobbes and Locke (say) but also of contemporary philosophers such as Nozick. He has also provided historians with an example olƒg