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The Resource Paolo Sarpi between Jean Bodin and Thomas Hobbes : a case study on the "political animal" in early modern Europe, Jaska Kainulainen

Paolo Sarpi between Jean Bodin and Thomas Hobbes : a case study on the "political animal" in early modern Europe, Jaska Kainulainen

Creator
Contributor
Summary
The aim of my thesis is to present an intellectual biography of Paolo Sarpi (1552-1623) by researching three different but intertwining sides in his intellectual activities: natural philosophy, religion and politics. My central argument is that it is possible to justify Sarpi's political theory by his natural philosophy and by his conception of religion. More specifically, it will be argued that Sarpi was an advocate of absolutism, divine right theory and Bodinian concept of sovereignty. Like Hobbes' political philosophy, Sarpi's political theory evolves around the idea of a ubiquitous motion that needs to be checked, around the notion of unconditional obedience, and around an unfaltering anti-papism, which resulted in his excommunication. While some scholars have seen Sarpi as an atheist or a religious skeptic, here he will be regarded as a believer. It will be shown that Sarpi was not ideologically volatile, as hypocrisy would entail, but adhered to his few but constant principles even when it was unadvantageous to him. I argue that this constancy grew from a coherent theory of a universe, where God was unfathomable and omnipotent, man weak and mortal by nature, the Pope fallible, and temporal rulers supreme executors of God's will. Sarpi's universe was ruled by eternal and transient laws, by divine, natural and civil laws, by laws of causation and predestination, and within this complex system, which God only understood perfectly, man's role was to obey the law and to rest assured that faith in God was enough to guarantee the resurrection of his mortal soul on the day of judgment. Infringement of any of the abovementioned laws was a violation against God's will
Language
eng
Work
Publication
Extent
410 pages
Note
Examining Board: Prof. Martin van Gelderen (EUI) - supervisor; Prof. Markku Peltonen (University of Helsinki); Prof. Lea Campos Boralevi (University of Florence); Prof. Bartolomé Yun-Casalilla (EUI)
Instance
Label
Paolo Sarpi between Jean Bodin and Thomas Hobbes : a case study on the "political animal" in early modern Europe
Title
Paolo Sarpi between Jean Bodin and Thomas Hobbes
Title remainder
a case study on the "political animal" in early modern Europe
Statement of responsibility
Jaska Kainulainen
Creator
Contributor
Subject
Language
eng
Summary
The aim of my thesis is to present an intellectual biography of Paolo Sarpi (1552-1623) by researching three different but intertwining sides in his intellectual activities: natural philosophy, religion and politics. My central argument is that it is possible to justify Sarpi's political theory by his natural philosophy and by his conception of religion. More specifically, it will be argued that Sarpi was an advocate of absolutism, divine right theory and Bodinian concept of sovereignty. Like Hobbes' political philosophy, Sarpi's political theory evolves around the idea of a ubiquitous motion that needs to be checked, around the notion of unconditional obedience, and around an unfaltering anti-papism, which resulted in his excommunication. While some scholars have seen Sarpi as an atheist or a religious skeptic, here he will be regarded as a believer. It will be shown that Sarpi was not ideologically volatile, as hypocrisy would entail, but adhered to his few but constant principles even when it was unadvantageous to him. I argue that this constancy grew from a coherent theory of a universe, where God was unfathomable and omnipotent, man weak and mortal by nature, the Pope fallible, and temporal rulers supreme executors of God's will. Sarpi's universe was ruled by eternal and transient laws, by divine, natural and civil laws, by laws of causation and predestination, and within this complex system, which God only understood perfectly, man's role was to obey the law and to rest assured that faith in God was enough to guarantee the resurrection of his mortal soul on the day of judgment. Infringement of any of the abovementioned laws was a violation against God's will
Member of
Cataloging source
IT-FiEUI
http://library.link/vocab/creatorName
Kainulainen, Jaska
Date time place
Defence date: 27 February 2009
Dewey number
145
Dissertation note
Thesis (Ph. D.)--European University Institute (HEC), 2009.
Index
no index present
Literary form
non fiction
Nature of contents
theses
http://library.link/vocab/relatedWorkOrContributorName
European University Institute
Series statement
  • EUI PhD theses
  • EUI theses
http://library.link/vocab/subjectName
  • Sarpi, Paolo
  • Bodin, Jean
  • Hobbes, Thomas
Label
Paolo Sarpi between Jean Bodin and Thomas Hobbes : a case study on the "political animal" in early modern Europe, Jaska Kainulainen
Instantiates
Publication
Note
Examining Board: Prof. Martin van Gelderen (EUI) - supervisor; Prof. Markku Peltonen (University of Helsinki); Prof. Lea Campos Boralevi (University of Florence); Prof. Bartolomé Yun-Casalilla (EUI)
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references (pages 386-407)
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
  • nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier.
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent.
Control code
FIEb15445252
Dimensions
30 cm.
Extent
410 pages
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia.
Media type code
  • n
System control number
(OCoLC)1038767260
Label
Paolo Sarpi between Jean Bodin and Thomas Hobbes : a case study on the "political animal" in early modern Europe, Jaska Kainulainen
Publication
Note
Examining Board: Prof. Martin van Gelderen (EUI) - supervisor; Prof. Markku Peltonen (University of Helsinki); Prof. Lea Campos Boralevi (University of Florence); Prof. Bartolomé Yun-Casalilla (EUI)
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references (pages 386-407)
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
  • nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier.
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent.
Control code
FIEb15445252
Dimensions
30 cm.
Extent
410 pages
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia.
Media type code
  • n
System control number
(OCoLC)1038767260

Subject

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