The Foundations of Modern Political Thought: Volume 2, The Age of ReformationA two-volume study of political thought from the late thirteenth to the end of the sixteenth century, the decisive period of transition from medieval to modern political theory. The work is intended to be both an introduction to the period for students, and a presentation and justification of a particular approach to the interpretation of historical texts. Quentin Skinner gives an outline account of all the principal texts of the period, discussing in turn the chief political writings of Dante, Marsiglio, Bartolus, Machiavelli, Erasmus and more, Luther and Calvin, Bodin and the Calvinist revolutionaries. But he also examines a very large number of lesser writers in order to explain the general social and intellectual context in which these leading theorists worked. He thus presents the history not as a procession of 'classic texts' but are more readily intelligible. He traces by this means the gradual emergence of the vocabulary of modern political thought, and in particular the crucial concept of the State. We are given an insight into the actual processes of the formation of ideologies and into some of the linkages between political theory and practice. Professor Skinner has been awarded the Balzan Prize Life Time Achievement Award for Political Thought, History and Theory. Full details of this award can be found at http://www.balzan.it/News_eng.aspx?ID=2474 |
Contents
The principles of Lutheranism | 3 |
The political implications | 12 |
The forerunners of Lutheranism | 20 |
The insufficiency of man | 22 |
The Churchs shortcomings | 27 |
the theological debate | 34 |
the lay revolt | 50 |
The spread of Lutheranism | 65 |
The duty to resist | 187 |
The development of Lutheran Radicalism | 189 |
The Lutheran influence on Calvinism | 204 |
The development of Calvinist radicalism | 221 |
The context of the Huguenot revolution | 235 |
The prospect of toleration | 237 |
The growth of absolutism | 250 |
The reassertion of constitutionalism | 261 |
The defection of the radicals | 73 |
The role of the secular authorities | 81 |
The enforcement of the reformation | 89 |
The background of constitutionalism | 113 |
The conciliarist tradition | 114 |
The legal tradition | 121 |
The revival of Thomism | 133 |
The theory of the Church | 142 |
The theory of political society | 146 |
The reply to the heretics | 164 |
The limits of constitutionalism | 172 |
The absolutist perspective | 176 |
Common terms and phrases
absolute Almain already Anabaptists analysis appears argues argument attack began Beza Bodin Calvin Calvinist Catholic Christian Church claim commonwealth concept conclusion constitution of France constitutional contention Council Council of Trent counter-reformation course defend discussion doctrine duty ecclesiastical Emperor emphasised England ephoral fact faith follows France Gerson God's godly Goodman heretics Hotman Huguenots humanist idea Imperium implication inferior magistrates insists Jean Bodin Jesuit jurisdictions justice king kingdom later law of nature legists legitimate Lollard Luther Lutheran Machiavelli magistrates Mair Marsiglio of Padua Melanchthon merely monarchy Mornay Ockham Opera Omnia ordained originally Papacy Parlement political society political thought Ponet Pope positive laws prince private-law Protestant radical recognise Reformation religion religious revolutionary ruler secular authorities Six Books sixteenth century sovereign sovereignty Suárez subjects temporal theorists theory of resistance Thomists tract trans treatise true tyrant Vitoria William of Ockham writers