Samuel von Pufendorf

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Samuel von Pufendorf" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (December 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Samuel von Pufendorf
Engraving by Joseph de Montalegre of Samuel von Pufendorf, 1706
Born	Samuel Pufendorf (1632-01-08)8 January 1632 Dorfchemnitz, Electorate of Saxony, Holy Roman Empire
Died	26 October 1694(1694-10-26) (aged 62) Berlin, Margraviate of Brandenburg, Holy Roman Empire
Nationality	German
Education	University of Leipzig University of Jena
Era	17th-century philosophy
Region	Western philosophy
School	Natural law
Institutions	University of Heidelberg University of Lund
Main interests	Jurisprudence, political philosophy, economics and history
Signature

Samuel Freiherr von Pufendorf (8 January 1632 – 26 October 1694) was a German jurist, political philosopher, economist and historian. He was born Samuel Pufendorf and ennobled in 1694; he was made a baron by Charles XI of Sweden a few months before his death at age 62. Among his achievements are his commentaries and revisions of the natural law theories of Thomas Hobbes and Hugo Grotius.

His political concepts are part of the cultural background of the American Revolution. Pufendorf is seen as an important precursor of Enlightenment in Germany. He was involved in constant quarrels with clerical circles and frequently had to defend himself against accusations of heresy, despite holding largely traditional Christian views on matters of dogma and doctrine.^[1]