Hugo Grotius

Liberty is the power that we have over ourselves.

Hugo Grotius (Huig de Groot, or Hugo de Groot; Delft, 10 April 1583 – Rostock, 28 August 1645) worked as a jurist in the Dutch Republic and laid the foundations for international law, based on natural law. He was also a philosopher, Christian apologist, playwright, and poet.

Quotes

• Liberty is the power that we have over ourselves.
  • As quoted in The Word Book Complete Word Power Library, Volume 1 (1981), p. 324

• 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

• 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

• 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

Quotes about

• The ideal of reason that had emerged in the modern world with Grotius and Descartes found one of its first typical expressions in Spinoza.

• Nicola Abbagnano, from Storia della filosofia (History of Philosophy), UTET, Turin, 1948.