In 1677 he was appointed court historian for the King of Stockholm and wrote a 33 volume history of Sweden. He was later employed as an historian for the Elector of Brandenburg in 1688, the result of which was a 19 volume history of the Elector's life and reign. Back to Table of Contents Natural Law Like natural law theorists before him, Pufendorf distinguishes between divine and human law, both of which govern human conduct. Divine is created by God, and human law is created by governments. Pufendorf also distinguishes between natural law and positive law.
Natural laws are fixed dictates which are necessary for a peaceful society.
Positive law, by contrast, arises from the mere pleasure of the legislator. Knowledge of natural law comes from our knowledge of human nature. The principle aspect of human nature which is the source of natural law is our instinctive drive for self-preservation. We are at the mercy of society for our self-preservation, and without society no human could survive. In spite of our dependence on society, we have many characteristics which make us unsociable.