The Common Good in Late Medieval Political Thought

The Common Good in Late Medieval Political Thought PDF Author: M. S. Kempshall
Publisher: Oxford University Press on Demand
ISBN: 9780198207160
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 401

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Book Description
This study offers a major reinterpretation of medieval political thought by examining one of its most fundamental ideas. If it was axiomatic that the goal of human society should be the common good, then this notion presented at least two conceptual alternatives. Did it embody the highest moral ideals of happiness and the life of virtue, or did it represent the more pragmatic benefits of peace and material security? Political thinkers from Thomas Aquinas to William of Ockham answered thisquestion in various contexts. In theoretical terms, they were reacting to the rediscovery of Aristotle's Politics and Ethics, an event often seen as pivotal in the history of political thought. On a practical level, they were faced with pressing concerns over the exercise of both temporal and ecclesiastical authority - resistance to royal taxation and opposition to the jurisdiction of the pope. In establishing the connections between these different contexts, The Common Good questions the identification of Aristotle as the primary catalyst for the emergence of 'the individual' and a 'secular' theory of the state. Through a detailed exposition of scholastic political theology, it argues that the roots of any such developments should be traced, instead, to Augustine and the Bible.

The Common Good in Late Medieval Political Thought

The Common Good in Late Medieval Political Thought PDF Author: M. S. Kempshall
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780191677526
Category : Common good
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
This text challenges the view that the rediscovery of Aristotle was the catalyst for the emergence of a secular theory of the state. An exposition of the content and context of political and ethical thought reveals that the roots of secularization were theological.

The Common Good in Late Medieval Political Thought

The Common Good in Late Medieval Political Thought PDF Author: M. S. Kempshall
Publisher: Oxford University Press on Demand
ISBN: 9780198207160
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 401

Get Book Here

Book Description
This study offers a major reinterpretation of medieval political thought by examining one of its most fundamental ideas. If it was axiomatic that the goal of human society should be the common good, then this notion presented at least two conceptual alternatives. Did it embody the highest moral ideals of happiness and the life of virtue, or did it represent the more pragmatic benefits of peace and material security? Political thinkers from Thomas Aquinas to William of Ockham answered thisquestion in various contexts. In theoretical terms, they were reacting to the rediscovery of Aristotle's Politics and Ethics, an event often seen as pivotal in the history of political thought. On a practical level, they were faced with pressing concerns over the exercise of both temporal and ecclesiastical authority - resistance to royal taxation and opposition to the jurisdiction of the pope. In establishing the connections between these different contexts, The Common Good questions the identification of Aristotle as the primary catalyst for the emergence of 'the individual' and a 'secular' theory of the state. Through a detailed exposition of scholastic political theology, it argues that the roots of any such developments should be traced, instead, to Augustine and the Bible.

The Common Good in Late Medieval Political Thought

The Common Good in Late Medieval Political Thought PDF Author: M. S. Kempshall
Publisher: Clarendon Press
ISBN: 0191542695
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 412

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Book Description
This study offers a major reinterpretation of medieval political thought by examining one of its most fundamental ideas. If it was axiomatic that the goal of human society should be the common good, then this notion presented at least two conceptual alternatives. Did it embody the highest moral ideals of happiness and the life of virtue, or did it represent the more pragmatic benefits of peace and material security? Political thinkers from Thomas Aquinas to William of Ockham answered this question in various contexts. In theoretical terms, they were reacting to the rediscovery of Aristotle's Politics and Ethics, an event often seen as pivotal in the history of political thought. On a practical level, they were faced with pressing concerns over the exercise of both temporal and ecclesiastical authority - resistance to royal taxation and opposition to the jurisdiction of the pope. In establishing the connections between these different contexts, The Common Good questions the identification of Aristotle as the primary catalyst for the emergence of 'the individual' and a 'secular' theory of the state. Through a detailed exposition of scholastic political theology, it argues that the roots of any such developments should be traced, instead, to Augustine and the Bible.

The Cambridge Companion to Medieval Ethics

The Cambridge Companion to Medieval Ethics PDF Author: Thomas Williams
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107167744
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 427

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Book Description
Offers historical and topical chapters on the whole range of medieval ethical thought in Christian, Jewish, and Islamic philosophy.

Common Good and Self-Interest in Medieval and Early Modern Philosophy

Common Good and Self-Interest in Medieval and Early Modern Philosophy PDF Author: Heikki Haara
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3031553047
Category : Common good
Languages : en
Pages : 289

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Book Description
Zusammenfassung: This open access volume provides an in-depth analysis of philosophical discussions concerning the common good and its relation to self-interest in the history of Western philosophy. The thirteen chapters explore both renowned and lesser-known thinkers from the Middle Ages to the eighteenth century, covering also the relevant ancient background. By bridging the gap between the medieval and early modern periods, they provide fresh insights into how moral and political philosophers understood the concepts of the common good and self-interest, along with their ethical and political implications. The concept of the common good occupies a central role in philosophical reflections on the public and private dimensions of moral and social life in contemporary debates. By exploring the rich and diverse ways in which the relationship between the common good and self-interest has been understood, this volume has the potential to contribute to our ongoing efforts to critically discern the possibilities and limitations of these concepts in the present. Thus, the volume will be useful for scholars interested in the multi-layered role of the notion of the common good both in the history of philosophy and in contemporary moral and political philosophy

A History of Medieval Political Thought

A History of Medieval Political Thought PDF Author: Joseph Canning
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1136623426
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 294

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Book Description
First Published in 2005. The book covers four periods, each with a different focus. From 300 to 750 Canning examines Christian ideas of rulership. The often neglected centuries from 750 to 1050, the Carolingian period and its aftermath, are given special attention. From 1050 to 1290 the conflict between temporal and spiritual power and the revived legacy of antiquity comes to the fore. Finally in the period from 1290 to 1450, Canning focuses on the confrontation with political reality in ideas of church and state, and in juristic thought.

The Cambridge Companion to Aristotle's Politics

The Cambridge Companion to Aristotle's Politics PDF Author: Marguerite Deslauriers
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107469821
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 447

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Book Description
One of the most influential works in the history of political theory, Aristotle's Politics is a treatise in practical philosophy, intended to inform legislators and to create the conditions for virtuous and self-sufficient lives for the citizens of a state. In this Companion, distinguished scholars offer new perspectives on the work and its themes. After an opening exploration of the relation between Aristotle's ethics and his politics, the central chapters follow the sequence of the eight books of the Politics, taking up questions such as the role of reason in legitimizing rule, the common good, justice, slavery, private property, citizenship, democracy and deliberation, unity, conflict, law and authority, and education. The closing chapters discuss the interaction between Aristotle's political thought and contemporary democratic theory. The volume will provide a valuable resource for those studying ancient philosophy, classics, and the history of political thought.

Medieval Political Theory: A Reader

Medieval Political Theory: A Reader PDF Author: Kate Langdon Forhan
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1136123563
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 289

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Book Description
A textbook anthology of important works of political thought revealing the development of ideas from the 12th to the 15th centuries. Includes new translations of both well-known and ignored writers, and an introductory overview.

Ideal Government and the Mixed Constitution in the Middle Ages

Ideal Government and the Mixed Constitution in the Middle Ages PDF Author: James M. Blythe
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400862604
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 362

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Book Description
Ancient Greeks and Romans often wrote that the best form of government consists of a mixture of monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy. Political writers in the early modern period applied this idea to government in England, Venice, and Florence, and Americans used it in designing their constitution. In this history of political thought James Blythe investigates what happened to the concept of mixed constitution during the Middle Ages, when the work of the Greek historian Polybius, the source of many of the formal elements of early modern theory, was unknown in Latin. Although it is generally argued that Renaissance and early modern theories of mixed constitution derived from the revival of classical Polybian models, Blythe demonstrates the pervasiveness of such ideas in high and late medieval thought. The author traces medieval Aristotelian theories concerning the best form of government and concludes that most endorsed a limited monarchy sharing many features with the mixed constitution. He also shows that the major early modern ideas of mixed constitutionalism stemmed from medieval and Aristotelian thought, which partially explains the enthusiastic reception of Polybius in the sixteenth century. Originally published in 1992. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Readings in Medieval Political Theory

Readings in Medieval Political Theory PDF Author: Cary J. Nederman
Publisher: Hackett Publishing
ISBN: 9780872204881
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 276

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Book Description
A useful collection of sources, now reprinted, which document and commentate on the formation of medieval political culture between the 12th and 14th centuries. Aimed at a non-specialist readership fifteen texts are presented in English translation and in chronological order supported by suggestions for further reading. These include letters and treatises by Bernard of Clairvaux, Marie de France, John of Salisbury, Thomas Aquinas, John of Paris, Dante Alighieri, William of Ockham, John Wyclif and Christine de Pizan.