A Project of Universal and Perpetual Peace (Classic Reprint)

A remarkable 18th‑century quest for universal peace unfolds in a collection of letters, petitions, and a printed project.

This edition gathers Gargaz’s proposals, Franklin’s responses, and contemporaries’ notes to illuminate how ideas of perpetual peace were discussed, shared, and circulated across France, America, and Europe.

Through these primary documents you’ll see how a schoolmaster’s petition, a galley sentence, and a scientist of politics joined voices in a movement toward arranging disputes without war. The material offers a window into the hopes, tensions, and practical arguments that surrounded early attempts to codify peaceful coexistence among nations.

• Primary letters and petitions that reveal the conversation around universal peace.
• Context for Franklin’s involvement and the publishing of a pamphlet in Passy.
• Discussion of how peace might be achieved through congresses, treaties, and shared norms.
• An accessible view of historical arguments for diplomacy over conflict.

Ideal for readers curious about the roots of international peace ideas, diplomacy, and 18th‑century political thought.