Der präsumtiv vernünftige Konsens der Menschen und Völker – Christian Wolffs Theorie der civitas maxima

Abstract

The paper analyzes the philosophical underpinnings and the methodological status of C. Wolff's doctrine of the civitas maxima, of the State of States. Two important points are made. The first is that Wolff understands the civitas maxima as a fictitiously presumed rational consensus of all human beings and of all states. The civitas maxima is the state that state-actors would create if they were to establish among themselves a structure that corresponds to the rational principles of law. Secondly, it is shown that Wolff applies a new p Show more