The next ILCR reading group takes place on Tuesday 28 February, introduced by Knud Haakonssen. Lunch will be available at 12.30 in room 9 (71 South St). The reading group will begin at 1pm in the Old Class Library (69 South Street).
The subject is Samuel Pufendorf, De officio hominis et civis juxta legem naturalem libri duo (1673), of which two English editions are readily available. One is a modern rendition by Michael Silverthorne that very accurately reflects the terseness of the original. The other is the first English translation from 1691, revised in the early 18th century, that renders Pufendorf’s text distinctly differently.
The selections listed below are recommended reading. The page numbers are those of the CUP edition; the chapters have the same numbering in the two editions.
Samuel Pufendorf, On the Duty of Man and Citizen According to Natural Law, ed. J. Tully, trans. M. Silverthorne (CUP 1991)
Alternatively The Whole Duty of Man, According to the Law of Nature, ed. I. Hunter & D. Saunders, trans. A. Tooke (Liberty Fund 2003), accessible here.
Author’s Preface: 6-13
Book I:
2. On the rule of human actions, or on law in general: 27-32
3. On natural law: 33-38
Book II:
1. On men’s natural state: 115-119
5. On the impulsive cause of constituting the state: 132-134
Reading more will of course help, especially Book I, chapters 1 and 4-7.