Download A Letter on the Principles of Justness and Decency, by Lambert van Velthuysen, 1622-1685 (author) ; Malcolm de PDF
By Lambert van Velthuysen, 1622-1685 (author) ; Malcolm de Mowbray (Editor and translator), Catherine Secretan (introduction)
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Extra info for A Letter on the Principles of Justness and Decency, Containing a Defence of the Treatise De Cive of the Learned Mr Hobbes
Sample text
Indeed, the Epistolica dissertatio displays the unusual characteristic of being considerably modified between two editions. Far from being anecdotal, those variants—some of them very long— decisively strengthen, complete or qualify Van Velthuysen’s reasoning. One concerns precisely the notion of ‘method’. In the first version, the author limited himself to the claim that his method came from Hobbes and that it allowed a rational deduction of the primary natural laws. In the second version, Van Velthuysen clarifies this by establishing a link with the principle of ‘self-preservation’: The primary aim of this work is to demonstrate that the procedure I observe in deriving the natural laws is a legitimate one, laying down self-preservation as the fundamental law and that from which the others emanate.
While Van Velthuysen did not intend to make a full presentation of this point, he nevertheless returned to the content of this minimal credo on a number of occasions. It represented a theological position shared by authors such as Grotius, Spinoza and Lord Herbert of Cherbury and inspired by the desire to restore peace among Christians that would transcend divisions within the Church. 67 ‘Finally, I do not deny that man is greatly inclined to embrace certain teachings, for example that there is a God, that universal judgement must be awaited, that the soul is immortal, …’ (p.
What is more, he knew that he could not expect a great deal of support—be it academic or social— and did not go in search of assistance: ‘Everyone knows how dangerous an undertaking it is to presume to define fundamental articles, especially for a private individual who is protected by no defences and lies open to every thrust of false accusation’ (p. 58). 31 Nevertheless, the enterprise carried a certain amount of risk, yet Van Velthuysen did not shy away from that. 34 This second edition (the first had been published in Paris in 1642) was supplemented with annotations and based on a copy of the original edition acquired by Sorbière.