Political Theories of the Middle Age

by Otto Gierke, Frederic William Maitland (Translator)

Political Theories of the Middle Age, by Otto Gierke, translated with an introduction by Frederic William Maitland. One of the world's great scholars in the hisotry of political ideas, Otto Von Gierke (1844-1921) was professor of law at the University of Berlin, of Breslau, and of Heidelberg, and produced monumental studies in the interpretation of legal history. In the present volume, Gierke gives his sharply definitive treatment of the basic political tenets up to the Renaissance.

Genres: History, Philosophy, Politics, Law

280 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1927

Reviews

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a little bit difficult to read, only because the sentence structure is a little rambly & I found myself drifting off at times. But it also had some really interesting points. The translator’s introduction was really fascinating, I think it may have been better than the actual book! He outlines how Roman law influences German law, & how this on turn impacted political thought, with a lot of emphasis on corporation & the church. I had never considered that The Prince was so shocking because it didn’t match any of its contemporaries in theory. I didn’t really enjoy The Prince, but with this new context, I’m thinking about it again.

[OSCAR · Rating 3 out of 5]

Desde que leí el libro de Paolo Prodi sobre los estados pontificios, no me había encontrado con otra obra cuyo número excesivo de citas, aunado con su extensión, me hiciera tan fastidiosa la lectura.

El texto principal es irrisorio; si alguien eliminara el aparato crítico, lo escrito no pasaría de ser un breve ensayo. Lo que da dolores de cabeza, pero tristemente la información vital, es el sinnúmero de citas, que se agradecen, sin embargo, desaniman al lector que desconoce estos temas. Un experto, considero yo, puede aprovechar mejor el libro si ya ha leído varios de los textos que cita Gierke en su obra.

Esta obra, como diría Kant de sus "Prolegómenos a toda metafísica del porvenir" es un texto solo para maestros, para conocedores de la literatura política medieval. Hay mejores acercamientos al tema por parte de autores de la talla de Figgins o de Walter Ullmann.

[Boone Ayala · Rating 3 out of 5]

Incredibly dense. In general, Gierke describes a political theory in medieval Germany (the Empire) which conceived of political organization in organic terms - the state and church were one body, composed of cells which were likewise structured like the body. The “Reception” - that is, the arrival of Roman law in the 15th century, via the Italians who modified it and so produced “antique-modern” thought - upset this, brought contradictions at the heart of medieval theories of group life to the fore, emphasizing as it did so the preeminence of the state. Here, the modern state is the product of an intellectual transformation - the reception of Roman law and thought allows for the elimination of groups between the individual and the state. This is a book I will have to reread and talk through with smart people - it’s short but exceptionally dense.