Political Thought in Europe, 12501450 [Paperback]

This is the first concise overview of a period never previously treated satisfactorily as a whole.The thinkers, Aquinas, Marsiglio, Ockham, Wyclif and Cusa, as well as prevalent notions of church and state, empire and local sovereignty, civic and communal self-government, etc. emerge in this introduction to a period of vital importance in the formation of modern world values.The thinkers, Aquinas, Marsiglio, Ockham, Wyclif and Cusa, as well as prevalent notions of church and state, empire and local sovereignty, civic and communal self-government, etc. emerge in this introduction to a period of vital importance in the formation of modern world values.The period c.1250-1450 ( the later Middle Ages ) was seminal for the values of the modern world. State sovereignty, the separation of church and state, representation, the popular origin of government, and property rights are just a few of the ideas formulated during this time. Political Thought in Europe provides a lucid and accessible introduction to the period in the round, covering both major thinkers such as Aquinas, Marsiglio, Ockham, Wyclif and Cusa, and prevalent notions of church and state, empire and local sovereignty, civic and communal self-government, kingship, the people , parliament, the law and experts ( the wise ). This is the first overall account to use recent advances in the methodology of the history of ideas.Acknowledgements; List of abbreviations; Introduction; 1. The political community; 2. Church and state; 3. Empire and nation; 4. City-states and civic government; 5. Kingship, law and counsel; 6. Parliamentary representation; 7. The state; Select bibliography; Index. Not only does Political Thought in Europe, 1250-1450 fill an important gap, but it does so with grace, clarity and vision. Cary J. Nederman, The Review of Politics The two salient qualities of Political Thought in Europe, 1250-1450 are, first, that it is the product of rethinking, as opposed to being one more restatement of lC´