Constituent Power in Early Modern Political PhilosophyFrom La Boétie to Hobbes
£19.99
About this book
Explores the intricate theme of constituent power, a pivotal yet often elusive concept in political philosophy
- Provides detailed examinations of La Boétie, Bodin, Lipsius, Campanella, Suárez, and Hobbes, offering nuanced insights into their unique contributions to the theory of constituent power
- Places each philosopher's ideas within the broader socio-political and intellectual contexts of the 16th and 17th centuries, enhancing understanding of how their thoughts on constituent power responded to and shaped their environments
- Lays a comprehensive historical and philosophical groundwork that equips readers to bridge early modern theories of constituent power with contemporary political and constitutional debates
- Revisits the works of well-studied philosophers to offer new perspectives and critical insights that challenge established interpretations and highlight underexplored aspects of their political thought
This book offers an in-depth examination of constituent power through the writings of six major philosophers from the 16th and 17th centuries, highlighting how their ideas have shaped the foundation and transformation of political philosophy.
Filippo Del Lucchese delves into how La Boétie, Bodin, Lipsius, Campanella, Suárez and Hobbes conceptualized and influenced the evolution of this fundamental political idea. By examining their writings, he illuminates the diverse interpretations and the profound impact these thinkers had on the formation of political authority and constitutional frameworks. He also bridges this historical analysis with contemporary debates on democracy, sovereignty and the enduring tension between political foundation and institutional stability in modern legal and political theory.
Reviews
Filippo del Lucchese has written a gem of a book in which he shows how early formulations of the concept of constituent power can be found already in the work of early modern thinkers such as Campanella, Lipsius and Bodin, and, moreover, why this inquiry is essential for understanding the modern foundations of political and constitutional authority.
Filippo Del Lucchese’s Constituent Power in Early Modern Political Philosophy: From La Boétie to Hobbes offers a powerful and highly original account of the emergence of the concept of constituent power from the mid-sixteenth to the mid-seventeenth century. He shows that constituent power cannot be understood as a formal system that underlies the political order but precisely the principle that renders such a system impossible. Constituent power signifies the constant innovation and maneuver required to re-constitute the constituted order. Del Lucchese allows us to see that the very notion of the consent, voluntarily given, of individuals to their own subjection arose as a weapon wielded by the sovereign power against the multitude. His reflections on a single century of political thought illuminates some of the most urgent problems of our political present.
Table of contents
Introduction: The Revolutionary Paradigm of the Constituent Principle: the Arabian phoenix of Power between Politics and Law
Chapter 1: Étienne de La Boétie: The Paradox of Voluntary Subjection
Chapter 2: The Architecture of Power in Bodin’s Theory: Unraveling the Roots of Constituent Authority
Chapter 3: The Stoic Foundations of Authority in Lipsius’ Political Thought
Chapter 4: Crafting Power from Utopia: Campanella’s Prophetic Foundation of Constituent Authority
Chapter 5: The Theological Underpinnings of Political Power in Suárez’s Philosophy
Chapter 6: Hobbes on the Genesis of Sovereign Power: The Role of Constituent Authority
Conclusion: Philosophical Genealogies and Political Ontology: Theoretical Models of Constituent Power between Early Modernity and Contemporary Theory
Bibliography
Index