Emerich de Vattel

Emerich de Vattel , 1714-67, Swiss philosopher and jurist. He served (1746-58) as Saxon minister at Bern and later in the cabinet of Augustus III at Dresden. He is famous for one book, Droit des gens; ou, Principes de la loi naturelle appliqués à la conduite et aux affaires des nations et des souverains (1758; tr. Law of Nations, 1760). This book, founded on the writings of Christian von Wolff, was important chiefly because it supplied a justification for liberal revolution. It also illustrated the growing attention to international law based on natural laws that were superior to positive legislation.

Bibliography: See P. P. Remec, The Position of the Individual in International Law (1960).