Marsilius of Padua: The Defender of the Peace

Front Cover
Cambridge University Press, 24. nov 2005
The Defender of the Peace of Marsilius of Padua is a massively influential text in the history of western political thought. Marsilius offers a detailed analysis and explanation of human political communities, before going on to attack what he sees as the obstacles to peaceful human coexistence - principally the contemporary papacy. Annabel Brett's authoritative rendition of the Defensor Pacis was the first new translation in English for fifty years, and a major contribution to the series of Cambridge Texts: all of the usual series features are provided, included chronology, notes for further reading, and up-to-date annotation aimed at the student reader encountering this classic of medieval thought for the first time. This edition of The Defender of the Peace is a scholarly and a pedagogic event of great importance, of interest to historians, political theorists, theologians and philosophers at all levels from second-year undergraduate upwards.

From inside the book

Contents

Acknowledgements page
ix
Principal events in Marsiliuss life
xxxvii
Notes on the references
lii
On the general bearing of the matters to be discussed
3
On the first questions of this book and on defining
11
On the final cause of the city and of the aspects of the city
18
On the final cause of a certain part of the city sc
31
On the other types of cause of the existence
37
On the numerical unity of the supreme principate of a city
114
On bringing the prince to account and for what reason
123
world
221
to judge them in this world to constrain them and
232
On certain signs testimonies and examples from both
242
On distinguishing certain terms which is necessary
249
On the status of the said poverty which is habitually
262
On some objections to what was determined in
287

On the modes of instituting a royal monarchy and
43
On differentiating and identifying the significations
51
On the demonstrable efficient cause of human law
65
Concerning some objections to what was said in
73
On the qualities or characteristics of the perfect prince
81
On the efficient cause of the best way of instituting
88
Whether it is better for a polity to adopt a monarch by
98
On the division of the priestly office into its essential
309
conferred upon them directly by Christ As a result
319
On the authority to institute bishops and other curates
335
how it comes that the Roman bishop and church
352
Index
559
Copyright

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Popular passages

Page 394 - ... but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ : From whom the whole body fitly joined together, and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body, unto the edifying of itself in love.
Page 167 - Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.
Page 153 - And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine : and behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.
Page 180 - For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid ; for he beareth not the sword in vain : for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience
Page 205 - For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed...
Page 236 - Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
Page 325 - Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.
Page 171 - Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.

References to this book

About the author (2005)

The editor and translator Annabel Brett is Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of Gonville and Caius College. Her previous publications include Liberty, Right and Nature: Individual Rights in Later Scholastic Thought (Cambridge, 1997).

Bibliographic information