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A Defence of Liberty Against Tyrants: A Translation of the Vindiciae Contra Tyrannos
Paperback
PhilosophyMedieval & Renaissance HistoryGeneral Christianity
ISBN13: 9781025591773
Publisher: Tradd Street Press
Published: Feb 14 2026
Pages: 244
Weight: 0.76
Height: 0.51 Width: 6.14 Depth: 9.21
Language: English
A Defence of Liberty Against Tyrants is a foundational masterpiece of political philosophy and resistance theory. Written during the height of the French Wars of Religion, this work offers a profound inquiry into the limits of monarchical authority and the rights of the governed. The treatise is structured around four critical questions concerning the duty of subjects to obey or resist rulers who command actions contrary to the law of God or the well-being of the state.
Drawing upon legal, historical, and biblical precedents, the text argues that a king's power is not absolute but is instead a delegated trust. It introduces the influential concept of a twofold covenant: one between God and the people, and another between the ruler and the people. When a monarch violates these sacred obligations and becomes a tyrant, the work asserts that the people-represented by their magistrates-possess a moral and legal right to resist. A Defence of Liberty Against Tyrants remains a cornerstone of early modern thought, having directly influenced the development of constitutionalism, social contract theory, and the philosophical foundations of modern democratic revolutions. It is an essential read for those interested in the history of political science and the evolution of civil liberties.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
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