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The Defensor Pacis of Marsilius of Padua
Paperback
PhilosophyMedieval & Renaissance HistoryGeneral Political Science
ISBN13: 9781025592718
Publisher: Tradd Street Press
Published: Feb 14 2026
Pages: 582
Weight: 1.77
Height: 1.18 Width: 6.14 Depth: 9.21
Language: English
The Defensor Pacis of Marsilius of Padua stands as one of the most influential and revolutionary works of medieval political theory. Written in the 14th century, this treatise fundamentally challenged the prevailing power structures of the Middle Ages by arguing for a radical separation of church and state. Marsilius of Padua provides a detailed defense of popular sovereignty, asserting that the authority of the law derives from the consent of the governed-the universitas civium-rather than divine appointment or ecclesiastical decree.
Divided into three distinct discourses, the work systematically deconstructs the claims of papal plenitude of power while advocating for the peace and stability of the secular state. Marsilius examines the origins of law, the role of the legislator, and the necessity of a unified executive power to prevent civil discord. This presentation of the text, edited by the esteemed historian C. W. Previte-Orton, offers a scholarly window into a work that laid the groundwork for modern constitutionalism and the development of the secular nation-state. The Defensor Pacis of Marsilius of Padua remains an essential read for students of political science, legal history, and medieval philosophy, offering profound insights into the evolution of Western political thought and the struggle for institutional balance.
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