Pufendorf's Duties

The first component of law that must be explained is duty, namely, what it is and how it is derived? According to Pufendorf, duty is that which rational agents “must do, as [as to be] morally good, and what must not do, as [to not be] morally bad” (158). For Pufendorf, all duties come from into at least one of three sources: divine authority, civil contracts, or natural reason. First, divine duties are duties that come from God. Such duties are derived from the will of God as revealed to man in Holy Scripture. Second, civil duties are derived from contracts or agreements between rational agents. Such agents agree to duties to being placed upon them in exchange for the benefit of living in civil society. Yet, perhaps the most important duties