Preventing International Conflict: Saint-Pierre and Rousseau

If the international state of nature is a Hobbesian state of war, is there any way that a social contract theory can be constructed in order to either prevent war completely or at least limit the negative effects that occur as a result of hostilities? In this chapter, we consider a Hobbesian approach to this issue by examining the project for peace between states as outlined by the social contract theorist, the Abbé de Saint-Pierre. We also address objections raised by Rousseau regarding this proposal.