We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
from Book II - On the Law of War and Peace
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 April 2013
What public conventions are
[P]ublic conventions are such as can be made only by the right of a higher or lower authority of government; and in this respect they differ not only from the contracts of private persons, but also from the contracts of kings which are concerned with private affairs. However, from such private contracts…causes of war are wont to arise, although more frequently from public contracts. Having, therefore, sufficiently treated of compacts in general, we ought to add some details which relate to this more excellent kind of agreement.
Division of conventions into treaties, sponsions, and other agreements
We can divide these public conventions, which the Greeks call συνθήκας (articles of agreement), into treaties, sponsions, and other agreements.
The difference between treaties and sponsions
[T]reaties are made by order of the highest authority; and… in respect to such treaties, the people itself is liable to divine wrath if it does not keep its agreements. … A sponsion is made when those who do not have from the supreme authority a commission for such an act promise something which essentially affects that authority.
To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure no-reply@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.
Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.
Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.
