ON SOVEREIGNTY AND THE STATE

Overview

Who was Jean Bodin?What is a State? What is Sovereignty?What is the most dangerous

cause of social revolution?

Context

Intellectual Influences on Modern Political Thought:

1. Renaissance

2. Enlightenment

Context

Socio-political Influences on Modern Political Thought

1. Industrial Revolution

2. American Revolution

3. French Revolution

4. Treaty of Westphalia

Jean Bodin (1530-1596)

Catholic French jurist and natural law philosopher

Lived during a time of religious turmoil in France

Among the first philosophers to attempt a technical discussion of sovereignty

What is a State?

“The state is a lawful government with sovereign power, of different households and their common affairs.”

- Jean Bodin

(The Six Books on the State)

What is a State?

Hence, today we speak of the elements of a state– Territory– People– Government– Sovereignty

Of these, sovereignty endows the state with its identity

What is Sovereignty?

“Sovereignty is the absolute and perpetual power of the state, that is, the greatest power to command.”

- Jean Bodin

(The Six Books on the State)

What is Sovereignty?

“Sovereignty is the absolute and perpetual power of the state, that is, the greatest power to command.”

- Jean Bodin

(The Six Books on the State)

Sovereignty: Absolute

By absolute, we mean that no higher authority exists over the sovereign

Hence, rulers are not bound by laws

Rulers are bound by “contracts”

Sovereignty: Perpetual

By perpetual, we mean that it is not bound by tenure

At its crudest, it means that sovereignty lasts as long as the lifetime of he who possesses the power

Other Characteristics

Sovereignty resides in the people or absolute monarchs

Both have the right to recall the authority they bestow

All political authorities are but custodians/agents of sovereign power

On Social Revolution

The most important cause of social revolution is excessive wealth and poverty within the state

Although equality is said to foster peace, absolute equality is equally problematic

SummarySovereignty is the fundamental

characteristic of a stateSovereignty is both absolute and

perpetualRulers are merely custodians of

sovereigntyFor a state’s stability, equity is

more important than equality