Résumé
Résumé de Tradition, principalement en référence à la mythologie et au Droit des gens
Go deeper: the whole of Tradition, principalement en référence à la mythologie et au Droit des gens
About 10 h 50 min to read.À qui s’adresse-t-il ?
This book will please readers who love comparative myth, Victorian debates about science and faith, the history of international law, or following one idea through distant customs.
De quoi parle ce livre ?
What if the stories of Greek gods, Chinese emperors and Mandan dancers all point back to one family and one flood? That is the bold question behind this book. Lord Arundell of Wardour published it in 1872, after the Franco-Prussian war and the seizure of the Papal States. He wanted firmer ground for peace between nations.
His answer is tradition. He argues that mankind carries a shared memory of early history, including a primitive revelation, the Deluge and the dispersion of the peoples. That memory, he says, lies behind myths, sacred books and the rules of war.
Dans ce résumé
- 1Law between nations rests on conscience, not precedentFree
- 2Utility and struggle cannot ground morality
- 3The state of nature is a memory distorted
- 4Chronology agrees with the short biblical reckoning
- 5Tradition is the mother of religion and law
- 6Myths hide real ancestors, not only the sun
- 7One Deluge underlies the flood stories of the world
- 8Savages show decay and not the dawn of man
- 9The golden age and Roman law preserve one inheritance
- 10A declaration of war once carried duty and restraint
Point clé 1 sur 10
Law between nations rests on conscience, not precedent
Arundell opens with a distinction that carries the whole book. The law of nations, he says, is a duty that binds the conscience of states to respect justice. International law is only the heap of rules and precedents piled up afterward. The two can drift apart.
The law of nations may forbid invading a neighbour, yet a diplomat can still call an invasion lawful because kings once did the same. Bentham, his chief opponent, put public opinion in place of natural right. Arundell asks what opinion can achieve if it only voices pleasure or pain.
He points to Napoleon, who admitted after mistreating Pius the Seventh that he had made the nations shudder. That is a man hearing the verdict of mankind. A rule built on what the powerful have done will excuse whatever they do next. Law between nations draws its strength from a common sense of right, not from the habits of the strong.
That’s 1 of 10 key points.
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Go deeper: the whole of Tradition, principalement en référence à la mythologie et au Droit des gens
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Questions about Tradition, principalement en référence à la mythologie et au Droit des gens
What is Tradition, Principally with Reference to Mythology and the Law of Nations about?
It argues that mankind shares an inherited memory of early history, including the Deluge and a law of conscience. The author uses myths, ceremonies and ancient rules of war to claim this memory underlies the law of nations.
Who wrote Tradition and the Law of Nations and when?
Lord Arundell of Wardour, John Francis Arundell, wrote it and it appeared in London in 1872. He wrote it after the wars and upheavals of 1870 and 1871, hoping to restore firmer foundations for peace.
What is the difference between the law of nations and international law in this book?
The law of nations is a duty of conscience binding states to justice. International law is the collection of rules and precedents that diplomats built up, which can drift away from that duty and excuse force.
What do the Mandans and Dahome have to do with the Flood?
Arundell compares Catlin's account of the Mandan Okeepa ceremony with Captain Burton's account of the customs of Dahome. He finds shared features, such as an ark, water baskets and the number eight, and reads them as memories of the Deluge.
Is Tradition and the Law of Nations worth reading today?
It offers a window on Victorian debates over science, faith and war, with quotations from Bentham, Darwin, Lubbock and Maine. Readers who enjoy comparative myth and the history of ideas will find plenty to weigh.
Cite this edition
Arundell, John Francis. Tradition, Principally with Reference to Mythology and the Law of Nations. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/tradition-principally-with-reference-to-mythology-and-the-law-of-nations.
Arundell, J. F. (2026). Tradition, principally with reference to mythology and the law of nations. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/tradition-principally-with-reference-to-mythology-and-the-law-of-nations (Original work published 1872)
Arundell, John Francis. Tradition, Principally with Reference to Mythology and the Law of Nations. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/tradition-principally-with-reference-to-mythology-and-the-law-of-nations.
@book{arundell2026tradition,
author = {Arundell, John Francis},
title = {Tradition, Principally with Reference to Mythology and the Law of Nations},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/tradition-principally-with-reference-to-mythology-and-the-law-of-nations},
note = {First published 1872}
}
