The Whole Duty of Man According to the Law of Nature

Samuel von Pufendorf's The Whole Duty of Man According to the Law of Nature (1673) is a work that explores natural law. Pufendorf, a German jurist, based his understanding of natural law on the concept of socialitas, or the idea that humans are fundamentally social beings.1

He argued that all individuals possess inherent dignity, entitling them to equality and freedom. Contrary to some earlier philosophies, Pufendorf asserted that no one is naturally a slave, and master-servant relationships arise from agreements. His theories on civil, penal, and constitutional law also stem from this principle of sociality. This work was influential, recommended by figures like John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Natural law, in general, is a system of justice believed to be common to all humans and derived from nature, rather than from societal rules.12