Potentiality through Conflict

Using Niklas Luhmann's theory of social evolution, this paper examines the way in which conflict and political disputes contributed to the development of the political system of the Roman Republic. This analysis shows that rivalry and conflict—often contributed to by the tribunes of the plebs—led to the variation of predetermined possibilities for action. Observing political initiatives since 133 bce, it becomes apparent that political rivals increasingly used legal means to assert themselves. This tendency caused a juridification of the political system. Furthermore, the senatus consultum ultimum emerged against the backdrop of recurrent conflicts and evolved into an effective means of action for the Senate. Internalized conflict provided the Roman Republic and its protagonists with potentiality and offered new possibilities for action. Therefore, I propose to speak of alternatives through crisis to describe the political evolution of the Roman Republic

Economics · Epistemology · Political action · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Rivalry · Sociology · The Republic · Classical Antiquity Studies · Historical Economic and Legal Thought · Law · Philosophy