ABSTRACT

This chapter introduces one of the seminal figures in the historical development of the just war tradition: Alberico Gentili. As a scholar, Gentili was shaped by – and participated in – a number of important social and cultural developments. Of these, three stand out with respect to his work on war: the influence of humanism in the study of law; the religious controversies associated with the Reformation; and the emergence of England, Spain, and other European states as global powers. A quick summary of Gentili's biography suggests the importance of each of these developments. The work on the law of war is usually regarded as Gentili's most important contribution. For Gentili, delimiting the role of religion in war is an important part of the jurists' task. As to the authority of rulers, Gentili early on provides a definition of war as "a just and public contest of arms".