Hugo Grotius who was born in Delt (Holland) in 1583 is credited to be the founder of international law, with his book "De jure belli ac pacis" (about the law on war and peace) ;(1625); au sujet du droit de la guerre et de la paix).

This treaty gave him universal recognition and gave birth to law philosophy, cuting natural law (or human law) from its theological roots. He gave human foundations to law. The source of natural law is in human nature, in his instinct to live with others, like him.
The existence of such a law justifies the tentative to base international relations on justice.
He theorized about the just war doctrine, natural law. He doesn't pretend to cancel wars but to rule them: if war causes are legitimate, then they are not contrary to natural law.
He's considered as the one who secularized natural law.

He stated that to govern others against their will, under the pretext that it's good for them, constituted the most frequent unjust war argumant.

To meditate about! (from the Seventeenth Century).

Raoul