Ideas of Power in the Late Middle Ages, 1296–1417

"Through a focused and systematic examination of late medieval scholastic writers - theologians, philosophers and jurists - Joseph Canning explores how ideas about power and legitimate authority were developed over the 'long fourteenth century'. The author provides a new model for understanding late medieval political thought, taking full account of the intensive engagement with political reality characteristic of writers in this period. He argues that they used Aristotelian and Augustinian ideas to develop radically new approaches to power and authority, especially in response to political and religious crises. The book examines the disputes between King Philip IV of France and Pope Boniface VIII and draws upon the writings of Dante Alighieri, Marsilius of Padua, William of Ockham, Bartolus, Baldus and John Wyclif to demonstrate the variety of forms of discourse used in the period. It focuses on the most fundamental problem in the history of political thought - where does legitimate authority lie?"-- Provided by publisher Contents Preface Abbreviations Introduction CHAPTER 1 Ideas of power and authority during the disputes between Philip IV and Boniface VIII THE LESSER TRACTS THE MAJOR TRACTS CHAPTER 2 Dante Alighieri: the approach of political philosophy THE RIGHT AND WRONG USES OF KNOWLEDGE THE RIGHT PATH THE WRONG PATH THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE USES OF POWER DANTE'S INSIGHT CHAPTER 3 Marsilius of Padua PREVIOUS INTERPRETATIONS OF MARSILIUS'S THOUGHT THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF MARSILIUS'S WORKS MARSILIUS'S GENERAL POLITICAL MODEL WHERE DOES LEGITIMATE AUTHORITY LIE? WHERE DOES LEGITIMATE AUTHORITY NOT LIE? CHAPTER 4 Power and powerlessness in the poverty debates CHAPTER 5 The treatment of power in juristic thought I The problem and its solution Problems with the de iure–de facto solution Did Bartolus and Baldus operate with concepts of sovereignty? Did Bartolus and Baldus operate with concepts of state? The usefulness of employing notions of sovereignty and state II The origins of papal temporal power Complications as regards papal sovereignty CHAPTER 6 The power crisis during the Great Schism (1378–1417) GRACE-FOUNDED `DOMINIUM ́ CONCILIAR IDEAS Conclusion Bibliography PRIMARY SOURCES SECONDARY SOURCES Index "Through a focused and systematic examination of late medieval scholastic writers - theologians, philosophers and jurists - Joseph Canning explores how ideas about power and legitimate authority were developed over the 'long fourteenth century'. The author provides a new model for understanding late medieval political thought, taking full account of the intensive engagement with political reality characteristic of writers in this period. He argues that they used Aristotelian and Augustinian ideas to develop radically new approaches to power and authority, especially in response to political and religious crises. The book examines the disputes between King Philip IV of France and Pope Boniface VIII and draws upon the writings of Dante Alighieri, Marsilius of Padua, William of Ockham, Bartolus, Baldus and John Wyclif to demonstrate the variety of forms of discourse used in the period. It focuses on the most fundamental problem in the history of political thought - where does legitimate authority lie?"-- Résumé de l'éditeur "Through a focused and systematic examination of late medieval scholastic writers--theologians, philosophers and jurists--Joseph Canning explores how ideas about power and legitimate authority were developed over the 'long fourteenth century'. The author provides a new model for understanding late medieval political thought, taking full account of the intensive engagement with political reality characteristic of writers in this period. He argues that they used Aristotelian and Augustinian ideas to develop radically new approaches to power and authority, especially in response to political and religious crises. The book examines the disputes between King Philip IV of France and Pope Boniface VIII, and draws upon the writings of Dante Alighieri, Marsilius of Padua, William of Ockham, Bartolus, Baldus and John Wyclif to demonstrate the variety of forms of discourse used in the period. It focuses on the most fundamental problem in the history of political thought--where does legitimate authority lie?"--Page i Machine generated contents note: Introduction; 1. Ideas of power and authority during the disputes between Philip IV and Boniface VIII; 2. Dante Alighieri: the approach of political philosophy; 3. Marsilius of Padua; 4. Power and powerlessness in the poverty debates; 5. The treatment of power in juristic thought; 6. The power crisis during the Great Schism (1378-1417); Conclusion; Bibliography; Index. This systematic examination of late medieval scholastic writing reveals contemporary ideas about power and legitimate authority and explores how they developed over the course of the 'long fourteenth century'. It addresses the most fundamental question in political thought - where does legitimate authority lie? Proposes a radically new interpretation of late medieval political thought by focusing on ideas of power and authority