Cameralism as 'political metaphysics': Human nature, the state, and natural law in the thought of Johann Heinrich Gottlob von Justi

Cameralism, one of the most important currents of economic thought in German-speaking countries in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, assumes a systematic and comprehensive form in the works of Johann Heinrich Gottlob von Justi (1717-1771). Justi tried to ground cameralism philosophically by way of what he termed 'political metaphysics'. This theory essentially deals with the following topics: human nature, the state, and natural law. The aim of the present paper is to analyse the key concepts of Justi's political metaphysics as well as the line of reasoning adopted by him. It thereby sheds new light on cameralism as political metaphysics.