Juan de Mariana and Early Modern Spanish Political Thought
- Format:
- Book
- Year:
- 2007
- Publisher:
- Ashgate
- Place published:
- Aldershot and Burlington
- Language:
- Abstract:
The Jesuit Juan de Mariana (1536-1624) is one of the most controversial authors in the history of political thought. His treatise ' 'De rege et regis institutione libri tres' (1599) is dedicated to Philip III of Spain. This study offers a radical departure of dated but still prevalent interpretations of Mariana as a radical and uncompromising theorist of resistance and "forerunner" of modern pluralist democracy. The Jesuit does not offer a clear-cut theory of popular sovereignty and does not fit into the Whig-interpretation of the history of European political thought. Undoubtely, Mariana argues forcefully for consensus, compromise and collaboration as the hallmarks of monarchical government. He turns his ire on overwrought conceptualisations of monarchical power - the ideas of Jean Bodin and Niccolo Machiavelli, possibly also Francisco Suarez attracted his attention - and offers blunt warnings to monarchs who lack respect for the laws and customs of their subjects and incline towards absolutist rule. Mariana weaves a language of Catholic political prudence or reason of state (though he never uses the latter term, and never refers openly to either Botero or Machiavelli) from civil and canon law, scholastic moral theology, and neo-Stoic political philosophy. He resolutely confirms the role of religion as 'vinculum societatis', the 'fetters' or 'ties' that holds societies together, and demands a larger role for the bishops and clergy of Castile in the running of the Spanish Habsburg monarchy. In terms of his view of politics and political ethics as well as his way of writing about politics, this bold and not infrequently ambiguous Jesuit author bridges and merges humanist and scholastic traditions, terminologies and modes of thinking. He can be placed somewhere between thinkers like Giovanni Botero, Justus Lipsius and Saavedra Fajardo on the one hand, Francisco Suarez or Francisco Vitoria and Francisco Suarez on the other.
- Who (Jesuits):
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- Other link:
- Number of Pages:
- 200
- ISBN:
- 9780754639626