Émeric Crucé (1590–1648) was a French political writer, known for the ''Nouveau Cynée'' (1623), a pioneer work on
international relations. He advocated for an
international pacific body of representatives of many countries.
Life
Little specifics are known about him. He taught in a college in Paris, is said to have been a monk, and is supposed to have been from a humble background.
The "New Cyneas"
The ''Nouveau Cynée ou Discours d'Estat représentant les occasions et moyens d'establir une paix générale et la liberté de commerce pour tout le monde'' takes its name from
Cyneas, a diplomat-statesman of the ancient world who was active around 300 BC and known for his emphasis on
peace. Crucé, in accordance with Cyneas, made peace central to his philosophical and political thought.
Crucé took the position that
wars were the result of international misunderstandings and the domination of society by the warrior class, both of which could be reduced through commerce which brought people together.
He is pacifist in tone, and envisages an international body to maintain peace. It should be a permanent gathering of princes, or their representatives, in session at
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...
, whose task would be to resolve national or international disputes. Radically, he suggests that the
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
ic powers would participate in this permanent
peace congress; Crucé's thinking runs along the lines of a common humanity. Membership of this body would be completely voluntary.
His system relies on a measure of
free trade,
A Brief History of the Quest for Peace
/ref> and proposes a single currency and standardized weights and measures. There is an emphasis on social and economic objectives, as well as public spending.
Crucé's ideas are in sharp contrast to those of Jean Bodin, whose ideas are based on national sovereignty and the acceptance of war.
Notes
External links
*
* Mansfield, Andrew (2013) 'Émeric Crucé's Nouveau Cynée (1623): universal peace and free trade'. Journal of Interdisciplinary History of Ideas, 2 (4). pp. 2–23. ISSN 2280-8574 - http://www.ojs.unito.it/index.php/jihi/article/view/170
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cruce, Emeric
1590 births
1648 deaths
French male writers