词条 | Policraticus |
释义 |
Policraticus was the first book of political science to be produced during the Middle Ages. Written by John of Salisbury around 1159, it belongs to the genre of advice literature known as "mirrors for princes", and is addressed to the territorial ruler. Though it takes up a wide variety of ethical questions, it is most famous for attempting to define the responsibilities of kings and their relationship to their subjects. DefinitionsPolicraticus is a pseudo Greco-Roman neologism term, meaning "the statesman." Salisbury drew his arguments from several different sources, including the Bible and the Justinian Code. He argued for the divine right of kings, saying that
This divine source allowed princes to wage just wars and required all subjects to submit to the prince's will. Salisbury argued that the prince had four responsibilities: Revere God, adore his subjects, exert self-discipline and instruct his ministers. Salisbury advocated strict punishments for lèse majesté, but argued that a prince should err on the side of mercy and compassion when enforcing his laws. TyrannicideWhile recognizing a prince's supreme temporal power, Salisbury argued that princes must be subordinate to the will of God and the Church.
In Salisbury's mind, a tyrant sets a poor example for his people and could lead them from God. His example was the Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate, who attempted to restore Rome's pagan religion. In this case, Salisbury argued that killing a regent, when all other resources were exhausted, was not only justifiable but necessary, and he called a tyrant an "image of depravity . . . [who] spring(s) from evil and should be cut down with the axe wherever he grows." This may be the first defense of tyrannicide to be written after Antiquity. Sources
5 : 1150s books|Philosophy books|Political philosophy literature|Ethics books|Medieval philosophical literature |
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