Marsiglio of Padua was a 14th century Italian philosopher and theologian who is best known for his political and social ideas. Born in Padua, Italy in the late 13th century, Marsiglio was a member of the Franciscan order and received his education at the University of Paris.
One of Marsiglio's most famous works is his treatise "Defensor pacis," or "Defender of Peace." In this work, Marsiglio argued for the separation of church and state and the need for a secular government that would be responsible for the temporal affairs of the state. He believed that the church should focus on spiritual matters and not interfere in political matters, and that the state should be governed by elected officials who were accountable to the people.
Marsiglio also argued for the rights of individuals and the importance of individual freedom. He believed that people had the right to own property and to participate in the government through the election of their representatives. He believed that the government had a responsibility to protect the rights of its citizens and to ensure that they were treated fairly.
Marsiglio's ideas were highly influential during the 14th century and helped to shape the political and social landscape of Europe during this time. His ideas about the separation of church and state and the importance of individual rights were particularly influential and continue to be relevant today.
Overall, Marsiglio of Padua was a pioneer in the field of political philosophy and his ideas continue to be studied and debated by scholars and students of political science to this day.
Marsiglio of Padua: 'Defensor minor' and 'De translatione imperii'
Born betwen 1275 and 1280 in Padua; died circa 1343 in Munich. The will of the whole body of citizens will, under all circumstances, get priority and this makes the popular sovereignty complete. This perverse nature of man is injurious to society. The legislator will have the power to correct the government or to change it completely. People will judge scriptures according to their own belief, faith and wisdom. His function is, simply, to give instruction in the requisites of salvation, to exhort and to warn and to administer sacraments.
Marsiglio (Marsilius) of Padua
ADVERTISEMENTS: He wanted to cut the church to size. With contributions from around the world, the EHR includes major articles, notes and documentations, and debates on medieval and modern themes, and an unrivalled range and quantity of reviews of books published worldwide, along with a summary of international literature, published in the September issue each year. Opposing the claims of the papacy to secular power, he held that secular power was higher than spiritual. Implications for subsequent history. Included are two major texts.
Marsilius Of Padua
He treats the church as part of the civil authority and, naturally, it comes within the jurisdiction of civil laws. As to religious faith and doctrine, Marsilius believes that the divine scriptures are to be followed sincerely. Rather, it is governed by human reason after the Greek model. He was very much hesitant to accept anything on its face-value. He transfers to the church and, more particularly, to the General Council, an element of his political theory.
CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Marsilius of Padua
He maintained that because Jesus himself submitted to the secular powers, the Papacy had no business to interfere in the temporal world. With Defensor Pacis, he sketched the outline for the modern secular state. Marsilius of Padua märsĭlˈēəs, păˈdyo͞oə , d. Gewirth 1967 ; also A. Marsilio went to Paris and studied there different subjects.
Marsilius of Padua
Marsilio led a wandering life. But Marsiglio like Aquinas returned to Greece, notably Aristotle and Plato. Marsilius also takes away from the hands of the priests, to teach and discipline the public. There is, therefore, a necessity of the church. Apprehending class rule he made a strong brief for the sovereignty of all people or at least for the weightier part. .
Marsiglio of Padua: Part II. Doctrines on JSTOR
Naturally, there is no scope of accumulating property. He observes that the Pope, bishop and all other church personnel are of the same rank. He believed that only a strong central government could effectively defend the peace. He is self-seeking, violent and aggressive. He wrote the treatise Defender of Peace 1324, published 1522 , in which he was one of the first in the Middle Ages to propose the idea of the emergence of the state as the result of a social contract.
The Defensor Pacis of Marsiglio of Padua: A Critical Study
The authority to make the law, says Marsilius, belongs only to those men whose making of it will cause the law to be better observed. This is the working solution of Marsilius of any probable deadlock. He was an energetic and adventurous person. Church and State: In the realisation of tranquillitas the role of the government is to coordinate the activities of different classes of society and particularly the functions of the church with those of the rest of the society. He, however, defines it in the following way. The legislator, or the primary and proper efficient cause of the law, is the people or whole body of citizens, or the weightier part thereof, through its election or will expressed by the general assembly of the citizens. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight.
