Reassessing Legal Humanism and Its Claims : Petere Fontes?

14 essays challenging the nature and legacy of legal humanism. The traditional grand narratives of European legal history have begun to be questioned, to the extend that the nature and legacy of legal humanism now deserve closer scrutiny. Building on the groundbreaking work by Douglas Osler, who has been critical of the traditional narratives, this volume interrogates the orthodox views regarding legal humanism and its legacy. Fundamentally reassessing the nature and impact of legal humanism on the narratives of European legal history, this volume brings together the foremost international experts in related fields of legal and intellectual history to debate the central issues. Legal humanism has become deeply entrenched in most modern works on European legal history from the seventeenth century onwards and has been accepted with such blind faith by many modern scholars that few have challenged it. The consequence is that scholars who have accepted the traditional view have used it to substantiate larger claims about the death of Roman law, the separation between the golden age of a pan-European medieval ius commune and the fragmented reception of Roman law into the nation states of Europe, and the relevance of 'dogmatic' Roman law as opposed to 'antiquarian' Roman law Series Page 3 Title Page 4 Copyright 5 Table of Contents 6 Preface 8 A Note on Names and Book Titles 10 List of Contributors 11 List of Abbreviations 12 Introduction • John W. Cairns 16 Part I: Defining Legal Humanism 24 1 Antiqui et Recentiores: Alberico Gentili – Beyond MosItalicus and Legal Humanism • Alain Wijffels 26 2 Humanist Philology and the Text of Justinian’s Digest • Douglas J. Osler 56 Part II: A Break with the Past/Contemporary Critiques 72 3 Deconstructing Iurisdictio: The Adventures of a Legal Category in the Hands of the Humanist Jurists • Guido Rossi 74 4 Reassessing the Influence of Medieval Jurisprudence on Jacques Cujas’ (1522–1590) Method • Xavier Prévost 103 5 Redefining Ius to Restore Justice: The Centrality of Ius Gentium in Humanist Jurisprudence • Susan Longfield Karr 123 Part III: Legal Humanism: A Pan-European Methodology? 150 6 Elegant Scholastic Humanism? Arias Piñel’s (1515–1563) Critical Revision of Laesio Enormis • Wim Decock 152 7 The Working Methods of Hugo Grotius: Which Sources Did He Use and How Did He Use Them in His Early Writings on Natural LawTheory? • Martine J. van Ittersum 169 8 Joannes Leunclavius (1541–1594), Civilian and Byzantinist? • Bernard Stolte 209 9 Brissonius in Context: De formulis et solennibus populi Romani verbis • Éva Jakab 226 10 A Lawyer and His Sources: Nicolas Bohier and Legal Practice in Sixteenth-Century France • Jasmin Hepburn 259 11 Humanism and Law in Elizabethan England: The Annotations of Gabriel Harvey • David Ibbetson 297 Part IV: Legal Humanism and the Book Trade 312 12 The Thesauruses of Otto and Meerman as Publishing Enterprises: Legal Humanism in its Last Phase, 1725–1780 • Ian Maclean 314 13 Humanist Books and Lawyers’ Libraries in Early Eighteenth-Century Scotland: Charles Areskine of Alva’s Library • Karen G. Baston 363 Postscript • Paul J. du Plessis 392 Index 396 Antiqui Et Recentiores : Alberico Gentili, Beyond Mos Italicus And Legal Humanism / Alain Wiffels -- Humanist Philology And The Text Of Justinian's Digest / Douglas J. Osler -- Deconstructing Iurisdictio : The Adventures Of A Legal Category In The Hands Of The Humanist Jurists / Guido Rossi -- Reassessing The Influence Of Medieval Jurisprudence On Jacques Cujas' (1522-1590) Method / Xavier Prévost -- Redefining Ius To Restore Justice : The Centrality Of Ius Gentium In Humanist Jurisprudence / Susan Longfield Karr -- Elegant Scholastic Humanism? Arias Piñel's (1515-1563) Critical Revision Of Laesio Enormis / Wim Decock -- The Working Methods Of Hugo Grotius : Which Sources Did He Use And How Did He Use Them In His Early Writings On Natural Law Theory? / Martine J. Van Ittersum -- Joannes Leunclavius (1541-1594), Civilian And Byzantinist? / Bernard Stolte -- Brissonius In Context : De Formulis Et Solennibus Populi Romani Verbis / Éva Jakab -- A Lawyer And His Sources : Nicolas Bohier And Legal Practice In Sixteenth-century France / Jasmin Hepburn -- Humanism And Law In Elizabethan England : The Annotations Of Gabriel Harvey / David Ibbetson -- The Thesauruses Of Otto And Meerman As Publishing Enterprises : Legal Humanism In Its Last Phase, 1725-1780 / Ian Maclean -- Humanist Books And Lawyers' Libraries In Early Eighteenth-century Scotland : Charles Areskine Of Alva's Library / Karen G. Baston -- Postscript / Paul J. Du Plessis. Edited By Paul J. Du Plessis And John W. Cairns. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. This book is a fundamental reassessment of the nature and impact of legal humanism on the development of law in Europe. It brings together the foremost international experts in related fields such as legal and intellectual history to debate central issues surrounding this movement