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Quotation from The Rights of War and Peace (Book I) by Hugo Grotius

“the common subject of sovereign power is the state, which has already been said to be a perfect society of men.”

Hugo Grotius (spoken by Grotius)

The Rights of War and Peace (Book I), Book I, ch. III, §VII, trans. A. C. Campbell (1814)

Portrait of Hugo Grotius

Grotius locates sovereignty in the state as a whole before asking who holds it in particular.

Citation: "the common subject of sovereign power is the state, which has already been said to be a perfect society of men." — Hugo Grotius, The Rights of War and Peace (Book I), Book I, ch. III, §VII, trans. A. C. Campbell (1814). (id grotius-rights-of-war-and-peace-q7)

Portrait: Portret van Hugo de Groot (1583-1645) Rijksmuseum SK-A-581, Workshop of Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt, Public domain.

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Quote card: the common subject of sovereign power is the state, which has already been said