This book is a translation of Book I of
The Doctrine of
Law and State on the Basis of the Christian World-View, which in
the original is entitled Die philosophischen Grundlagen, translated
here as Philosophical Presuppositions. In it Stahl argues
firstly for the personal character of the cosmos over against pantheism
and for the concept of the ethical kingdom wherein God rules free
subjects, wherein personality is crucial to ethics, justice, and hence
law and the state. The doctrines of Christianity are brought to bear in
a way which highlights their indispensability to a sound, healthy
philosophical framework for understanding law and the state. The book
ends with a fascinating analysis of the doctrine of the Atonement and
its relevance to the concept of justice.
Philosophical Presuppositions is scheduled for publication in
mid-2009.