A Duty to Kill
John of Salisbury's Theory of Tyrannicide
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6398672 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Cary J Nederman (0000-0001-8175-7141, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1988 |
| Volume | 50 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 365-389 |
| Publication date | 1988-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Review of Politics (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0034-6705 • E-ISSN: 1748-6858 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s0034670500036305 |
| OpenAlex | W2085116994 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 8 |
| References cited | 19 |
This article examines the doctrine of tyrannicide in John of Salisbury's mid-twelfth century political treatise, thePolicraticus, in light of recent scholarly skepticism that John never meant to advocate a theoretical defense of slaying the tyrant. It is argued that John's conception of tyrannicide in fact possesses a philosophical foundation derived from his idea of the state as a political organism in which all the members cooperate actively in the realization of the common utility and justice. When the ruler of this body politic behaves tyrannically, failing to perform his characteristic responsibilities, the other limbs and organs are bound by their duty to the public welfare and God to correct and, ultimately, to slay the tyrant. John illustrates this position by reference to the many historical and scriptural instances of tyrants who have legitimately been killed. Thus, John not only proposes a theory of tyrannicide, but also roots it in a strong positive obligation to raise the sword against tyrannical rulers in the name of public benefit and justice
Body politic · Doctrine · Duty · Economic Justice · Epistemology · Law and economics · Obligation · Original position · Political philosophy · Political science · Politics · Ruler · Skepticism · Sociology · State (computer science · Byzantine Studies and History · Eurasian Exchange Networks · Law · Medieval Literature and History · Philosophy
Kings, Peers, and Parliament
Drama in the margins – academic text and political context in Matthew Gwinne's Nero
Winning? The Politics of Victory in an Era of Endless War
O Direito de Resistência Civil e o Tiranicídio em João de Salisbury
Conciliarism and constitutionalism
Puede ser moral la crueldad revolucionaria? Los dilemas éticos del terrorismo frente a la tiranía
Property and Protest
Freedom, Community and Function
De Officiis
Illustre ciuitatis et populi exemplum
Nature, Ethics, and the Doctrine of ‘Habitus’
A History of Political Theory
Roger II of Sicily, Rex-Tyrannus, In Twelfth-Century Political Thought
John of Salisbury and the Doctrine of Tyrannicide
The Influence of John of Salisbury on Medieval Italian Jurists
| Unique citing works | 8 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,22 |
| Citation span | 1990 - 2023 (34) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 8 |