Abstract

This paper examines the life and work of Jovan Stefanović Baljević (Gjon Shtjefën Balaj), an 18th-century intellectual from Bratonožići (Alb. Bratonishi) an Albanan tribe, near Podgorica who described himself as “Albano-Montenegrin.” In 1752 he defended his dissertation Dissertatio philosophica de propagatione religionis armata (Philosophical Discussion on the Spread of Religion by Militant Means) at the University of Halle, Germany—becoming the first Montenegrin Doctor of Philosophy. Baljević’s work, discovered again in the 21st century, shows early Enlightenment values of religious tolerance, freedom of conscience, and the separation of church and state.

Introduction

Jovan Stefanović Baljević (1752–after 1757) was a philosopher, jurist, and early Montenegrin intellectual who signed himself “Albano-Montenegrin from Bratonožići.” He was born on Pelevo Brdo, in the highland region between Podgorica and Kuči, a mixed cultural zone inhabited by both Slavic and Albanian families. Baljević belonged to a literate clerical family known for art and poetry.

After finishing his legal studies, he got a Doctorate of Philosophy at the University of Halle (Saale), one of Europe’s most progressive institutions of the 18th century. His dissertation, written and published in Latin, was entitled Dissertatio philosophica de propagatione religionis armata (Philosophical Discussion on the Spread of Religion by Militant Means).

Historical context

Baljević’s education was in line with the European Enlightenment, when scholars across Germany, France, and the Habsburg world debated the morality and religious questions. While the Balkan peninsula was under Ottoman influence, intellectuals from Orthodox communities sometimes reached Western universities through Russian or Habsburg connections.

Baljević’s self-designation as “Albano-Montenegrin” shows that he was most likely aware of his Albanian heritage, but the regional politics of the time had slowly led to a Slavic assimilation. The tribe of Bratonožići was also situated close to Podgorica and Kuci, also regions with Albanian heritage and history.

His philosophy

Baljević’s dissertation opposes militant means in spreading faith. He begins from rational premises: true belief cannot be compelled by force, for conviction arises from understanding and will, not fear.

“If anyone is to be truly convinced, he must be instructed, his reason enlightened, and his will inspired; how could these things ever be achieved by weapons?” (Baljević 1752, trans. Martinović 2002).

He differentiates between inner and outer religion: conformity on the outside without inner faith is useless. For Baljević, coercion in religion would ultimately lead to hypocrisy and conflict. He argumented for modern concepts of freedom of conscience, individual moral, and religious tolerance.

Themes

• Freedom of conscience: No authority, ecclesiastical or political, has the right to “ownership of consciences.” Religion is an individual’s natural right, derived from divine law.
• Individual responsibility: Only individuals, not nations or groups, can bear moral guilt for crimes or heresy; collective punishment is unjust.
• Separation of Church and State: Baljević implicitly supports the Enlightenment principle that state power must be independent from religious coercion.
• Cosmopolitan ethics: Echoing Hugo Grotius and Themistius, he insists that rulers must care “not only for their own subjects but for the whole human race.”

Scholarship

Baljević’s dissertation was rediscovered in the early 2000s by Academician Dušan J. Martinović, who found the original Latin manuscript in Halle’s archives and published it with translations of Baljević’s two shorter works written in Russian:

1. Geographical-Historical Description of Montenegro (1757)
2. Factual Description of Montenegro

Both texts were submitted to the Russian Collegium of Foreign Affairs in Saint Petersburg, where Baljević signed as “Jovan Stefanović Balević, Albano-Montenegrin from Bratonožići.” These documents shows us the ethnological and political realm of Montenegro at the time.

Reception

At the time of his defense, Baljević received praise from other scholars in Halle for being the first student “of the Greek [Orthodox] faith” to obtain a doctorate in philosophy. His rational defense of peace and tolerance aligned him with the liberal European scholars.

Modern scholars such as Jovan V. Kostjašov and Dušan J. Martinović credit him as the first Montenegrin philosopher to articulate Enlightenment ideas. His work anticipates later liberal humanism and remains one of the earliest Balkan statements against religious extremism.

Philosophical contributions

Baljević’s contribution lies in the universality of his moral reasoning. Rooted in natural law and ethic of rationalism, he criticizes holy wars and insists that religious plurality is not a threat but a natural condition of humanity. He advocated tolerance:

“If all religions were to spread themselves by fire and sword, could any expect peace or security?”

These positions prefigure the European concept of laïcité (secular state) and anticipate 19th- and 20th-century debates on interreligious coexistence.

Relevance

In a modern world still plagued by religious violence, Baljević’s ideas are strikingly current. His arguments echo universal human-rights principles and international law norms against religious persecution. For the Balkans, his legacy demonstrates that the intellectual roots of tolerance, pluralism, and secular humanism were present long before modern nation-states emerged.

The Albanian equivalent of his name

In Albanian linguistic form, Jovan Stefanović Baljević would be written as Gjon Shtjefën Balaj.

References

• Baljević, Jovan Stefanović. Dissertatio philosophica de propagatione religionis armata. Halle, 1752.
• Martinović, Dušan J. Dr Jovan Stefanović Baljević (ili Šćepan Mali) – život i rad. Cetinje: DOB, 2002.
• Kostjašov, Jovan V. Crnogorski naučnici u Rusiji u XVIII vijeku. Moscow, 1998.
• Sekulović, Goran. “Jovan Stefanović Baljević: Albano-Montenegrin Philosopher.” Montenegrin Academy Review, 2002.
• Grotius, Hugo. De jure belli ac pacis. Paris, 1625.
• Bayle, Pierre. Dictionnaire historique et critique. Rotterdam, 1697.