Review of Hufeland on Natural Law
Kant presents Gottlieb Hufeland's inquiry into the principle of natural law, its comparison of theories and its search for rational grounds of legal obligation.
Understanding the text
This 1786 review examines a book published in 1785. It reports another author's arguments, which are not automatically the reviewer's own positions.
Key points
- 01
Foundations
Hufeland seeks the sources of practical principles within the faculty of reason itself.
- 02
Comparison
His book examines numerous theories of law in order to understand their disagreements.
- 03
Application
Consequences and examples must be related to the legal principle from which they are derived.
How to read it
Separate Kant's presentation of Hufeland from the critic's own qualifications and judgments.
Editions & sources
Summaries and key points are original editorial interpretations. They accompany reading the work and do not replace an edition of the text. Editorial method ↗