Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- List of abbreviations
- Introduction
- Note on the text
- Prologue to the three books On the Law of War and Peace
- Book I On the Law of War and Peace
- Book II On the Law of War and Peace
- Book III On the Law of War and Peace
- 1 General rules from the law of nature regarding what is permissible in war; with a consideration of ruses and falsehood
- 2 How by the law of nations the goods of subjects may be held for the debt of their rulers; and therein, on reprisals
- 3 On war that is lawful or public according to the law of nations; and therein, on the declaration of war
- 4 On the right of killing enemies in a public war, and on other violence against the person
- 5 On devastation and pillage
- 6 On the right of acquiring things taken in war
- 7 On the right over prisoners of war
- 8 On the right to rule over the conquered
- 9 On postliminy
- 10 Cautions in regard to things which are done in an unlawful war
- 11 Moderation with respect to the right of killing in a lawful war
- 12 Moderation in laying waste and similar things
- 13 Moderation in regard to captured property
- 14 Moderation in regard to prisoners of war
- 15 Moderation in the acquisition of sovereignty
- 16 Moderation in regard to those things which by the law of nations have not the right of postliminy
- 17 On those who are of neither side in war
- 18 On acts done by individuals in a public war
- 19 On good faith between enemies
- 20 On the good faith of states, by which war is ended; also on the working of peace treaties, on decision by lot, on combat by agreement; on arbitration, surrender, hostages, and pledges
- 21 On good faith during war; herein also concerning a truce, the right of safe-conduct, and the ransom of prisoners
- 22 On the good faith of subordinate powers in war
- 23 On good faith of private persons in war
- 24 On implied good faith
- 25 Conclusion, with admonitions on behalf of good faith and peace
- Appendix 1 Note 18 (p. 329): the text of Grotius's note
- Appendix 2 Alternative outline
- Further reading
- Index of names
- Subject index
6 - On the right of acquiring things taken in war
from Book III - On the Law of War and Peace
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 April 2013
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- List of abbreviations
- Introduction
- Note on the text
- Prologue to the three books On the Law of War and Peace
- Book I On the Law of War and Peace
- Book II On the Law of War and Peace
- Book III On the Law of War and Peace
- 1 General rules from the law of nature regarding what is permissible in war; with a consideration of ruses and falsehood
- 2 How by the law of nations the goods of subjects may be held for the debt of their rulers; and therein, on reprisals
- 3 On war that is lawful or public according to the law of nations; and therein, on the declaration of war
- 4 On the right of killing enemies in a public war, and on other violence against the person
- 5 On devastation and pillage
- 6 On the right of acquiring things taken in war
- 7 On the right over prisoners of war
- 8 On the right to rule over the conquered
- 9 On postliminy
- 10 Cautions in regard to things which are done in an unlawful war
- 11 Moderation with respect to the right of killing in a lawful war
- 12 Moderation in laying waste and similar things
- 13 Moderation in regard to captured property
- 14 Moderation in regard to prisoners of war
- 15 Moderation in the acquisition of sovereignty
- 16 Moderation in regard to those things which by the law of nations have not the right of postliminy
- 17 On those who are of neither side in war
- 18 On acts done by individuals in a public war
- 19 On good faith between enemies
- 20 On the good faith of states, by which war is ended; also on the working of peace treaties, on decision by lot, on combat by agreement; on arbitration, surrender, hostages, and pledges
- 21 On good faith during war; herein also concerning a truce, the right of safe-conduct, and the ransom of prisoners
- 22 On the good faith of subordinate powers in war
- 23 On good faith of private persons in war
- 24 On implied good faith
- 25 Conclusion, with admonitions on behalf of good faith and peace
- Appendix 1 Note 18 (p. 329): the text of Grotius's note
- Appendix 2 Alternative outline
- Further reading
- Index of names
- Subject index
Summary
On the acquisition of things taken in war
Besides the impunity among men in relation to certain actions, which we have discussed up to this point, there is also another effect characteristic of public war according to the law of nations (iure gentium proprius). According to the law of nature, by a lawful war we acquire things which are either equal to that which, although it was owed to us, we could not otherwise obtain; or we inflict upon the guilty a loss that does not exceed an equitable measure of punishment, as has been said elsewhere.
What the [volitional] law of nations is on this subject
By the [volitional] law of nations, not merely he who wages war for a just cause, but in a public war also, anyone at all becomes owner, without limit or restriction, of what he has taken from the enemy. That is true in this sense, at any rate, that both the possessor of such booty, and those who hold their title from him, are to be protected in their possession by all nations; and such a condition one may call ownership so far as its external effects are concerned.
On the authority of Aristotle also we read: ‘The law is a sort of agreement, according to which things taken in war belong to those who take them.’ … ‘What is taken from the enemy, by the law of nations becomes at once the property of those who take it’, says [Justinian].… Aristotle said ‘acquisition by war is a method according to nature’.
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- Information
- Hugo Grotius on the Law of War and PeaceStudent Edition, pp. 359 - 367Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2012