Early modern concepts for a late modern world : Althusius on community and federalism / by Thomas O. Hueglin.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hueglin, Thomas O.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Althusius, Johannes, 1557-1638.

Althusius, Johannes.

Political science.

Political science--History.

Federal government.

Communities.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (276 p.)

Place of Publication:

Waterloo, Ont. : Wilfrid Laurier University Press, c1999.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Who was Althusius, and why is the work of a seventeenth- century political theorist important in modern times? Johannes Althusius (1557-1638) was a political theorist and a combative city politician who defended the rights of small communities against territorial absolutism. He designed a system of politics in which sovereignty would be shared and jointly exercised by a plurality of collectivities, spatial as well as social, on the basis of mutual consent and social solidarity. Early Modern Concepts for a Late Modern World places Althusius in the context of his times and explains the main features of his political thought. It also suggests, perhaps most significantly, why his theories continue to resonate today. Hueglin’s use of sources is thorough and scrupulous. He has worked in depth in Germanic scholarship and this access to German-language sources, some of which are almost unknown to the English-speaking world, provides a new interpretation of Althusius’ theory. With its emphasis on pluralized governance, negotiated compromise instead of majority rule, and the inclusion of the economic sphere into the political, Althusius’ theory belongs to a countertradition in Western political thought. Although it was written at the beginning of the modern age of sovereign politics, it applies to today’s search for a post-sovereign system of politics.

Contents:

Front Matter

Table Of Contents

Foreword

Introduction: Reconstruction, Relevance, and Context

The Contextual World of Althusius' Thought

Four Hundred Years of Althusius Controversy and the Need for a New Interpretation

The Historical Context: The St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, the Dutch Revolt against Spain, and the Rise of the Absolutist State

Theoretical Consequences: Absolutism and Territorial Centralization

Recourse to Alternative Traditions: Political Calvinism, Aristotle, and Germanic Communitarianism

The Method: Politico, Methodice Digesta Exemplis Sacris & Profanis Illustrata

The Althusian System of Politics

Consociation: The Principle of Political Community in a Civil Society

Societal Federalism: A Compound Polity of Particular and Universal Citizenship

Representation: Problems of Participation and Legitimacy in the Political Process

Subsidiarity and the Division of Powers: The Balance between Autonomy and Solidarity

Sovereignty: Organized Unity of Action and a Right to Civil Disobedience

The Relevance of Althusius Today

Conclusion: Lineage and Affinities

Appendices

Chronology

Schema

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9786610925148

9781280925146

1280925140

9780889207677

0889207674

9780585323619

0585323615

OCLC:

45844416