Author Ivan Matić's book takes us to the heart of the most important debates in political philosophy, exploring the concept of natural law through the social contract theories of Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Through a clear and reasoned analysis, the author seeks to establish and defend the original meaning of this doctrine, using a wealth of conceptual, normative, and historical methods, as well as thought experiments that revive the ideas of classical political thought.
The book begins by introducing the reader to the historical circumstances that shaped the emergence of these theories, illuminating the social and political changes that created fertile ground for the development of new ideas. The author discusses the social contract theory and its opposition to the doctrine of the divine right of kings. The central part of the book is devoted to all aspects of the doctrine of natural law – from the theological roots and secular alternatives to its genesis, through the analysis of the rights to life, liberty and property in the natural and civil states, to the consideration of properties such as naturalness, inalienability, negativity and individuality. The following part discusses in detail all the significant currents in the criticism of natural law – from the simplest Thrasymachian criticism, through positivist and various political ones – to the most complex – descriptive-normative. Through the chapter “Practical History of Natural Rights”, the author guides the reader through the key historical documents that have shaped the political and legal thought of the modern era. By analyzing the English Bill of Rights, the American Declaration of Independence, the American Bill of Rights, and the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, the book reveals how ideas of natural law emerged from the realm of theory and became the foundation of modern democratic societies. This section offers an exciting blend of history and philosophy, demonstrating the direct connection between political thought and concrete socio-political changes.
Based on all this, the book “Natural Rights in Contractualist Thought” presents a unique and complete insight into this complex theoretical issue from the domain of social contract theory and political philosophy in general and can be recommended to students of philosophy and political science, as well as to anyone interested in studying this area.
