On Marsilius of Padua

Strauss, Leo, "On Marsilius of Padua," in Liberalism: Ancient and Modern (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1995).

Excerpt:

“The diseases of the Commonwealth which Aristotle had discussed endanger this or that kind of governance or render good government impossible. But in Marsilisus’ opinion the disease with which the defender is concerned renders any government impossible, for it destroys the unity of the government and of the legal order, or it brings about permanent anarchy since it consists in the belief that the Christian is subject in this world to two governments (the spiritual and the temporal) which are bound to conflict. That disease endangers not only the good life or the fruits of peace, for the sake of which the Commonwealth exists, but mere life warm earpiece which is merely the condition—although the necessary condition—for the realization of the true end of the Commonwealth. From this we see how appropriate the title of Marsilius’ work is: the work is a defender, not of faith, but of peace, and of nothing but peace—not, to repeat, because peace is the highest good or the only political good, but because, being attract for the time, the work is chiefly concerned with the disease of the time. This is the reason why Marsilius apparently lowers his sights.”

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