Module 5

MEDIEVAL POLITICAL THOUGHT

Influence of Christianity on Western Political Thought

➢ The most outstanding feature of medieval Europe was feudalism

➢ The essential characteristics of feudalism were
1) the holding of land by a vassal from a lord
2) the existence of a close personal bond between the lord and the vassal
3) the full or partial rights of sovereignty which the holder of an estate had over
those living on it
➢ An estate of this nature, whether big or small, was called a fiel or feud.
➢ Hence the system came to be called feudalism
➢ But the feudal state was not a state in the modern sense of the term.

King
Land lords
Slaves

➢ During the period Christian Church was vested in power

➢ There was neither common citizenship nor common law.
➢ The church believed in a universal Christian society, living under one principle of
life, divinely ordained to be governed by two authorities, the spiritual and the
temporal in accordance with divine and natural law.
➢ The and the temporal authority al authority was the catholic church a was the Holy
Roman Empire.
➢ Roman Catholic Church was as powerful an institution as feudalism in western
Europe during medieval period.
➢ At the head of the church was the pope
➢ Pope was often stronger than the king and could force kings to obey his orders.
➢ Christianity taught that man’s life on earth was not the end of existence, but a
beginning of eternal life, and that he should give up pleasures in this life in order to
have a life of the spirit after death
➢ Some men became monks and took the vows of obedience, poverty and chastity.
➢ Some women became nuns and lived in convents.
➢ The institution where the monks lived together were called monasteries.
Contributions of the Medieval Catholic Church

• Education was given the most importance by the Catholic Church at that time
➢ Only people who lead a good life had the right to education in Europe.
➢ Monks collected and taught knowledge and later founded the universities of Oxford
and Cambridge out of the church territory.
• The church encouraged plays.
➢ The life events of the saints were depicted in dramas as battles between good
and evil.
• The origin of Vastu sculptures.
➢ Beautiful mosques were erected

Features of Medieval Political Period

➢ A period of political divisions and segregation.

➢ The period when Feudalism reached its peak.
➢ The period of imperialism.
➢ The period when nationalism started to grow.
➢ The end of the conflict between the Holy Roman Empire and the Pope
➢ As a political institution, papal authority held a very important place in the political
system in Europe.
➢ There was a great change in the name of religion and politics.
➢ In the eleventh century, school education was propagated in a big way.

S.T THOMAS AQUINAS (1225-1274)

➢ St. Thomas Aquinas was a very important political thinker of the medieval period:
➢ He amalgamated religion and politics without removing their individual identities.
➢ Hence he is known as a moderate papalist and secular philosopher.
➢ Thomas Aquinas was born in Sicily in the Kingdom of Napels in the year 1225
➢ He was born in noble family in Naples
➢ He was a declared Saint.
➢ The Political Philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas was a combination of
[Link] 2. Philosophy of Aristotle and 3. Universalism
➢ His famous work is ‘Summa Theologica’
➢ Died on 7 March 1274

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POLITICAL IDEAS OF AQUINAS

• Concept of Nature
➢ Aquinas was of the opinion that there is a higher nature beyond this worldly
nature.
➢ This world is only superficial and only a passing stage of the life of man.

• Nature of Man
➢ man is a social animal.
➢ The state is something natural to man.
➢ It is embedded in his nature.

• Nature of Society
➢ According to Thomas Aquinas, the society is one in which both the secular
and spiritual authorities co existed sided by side

• Nature of State
➢ The ultimate objective of the state is good life through coexistence and
mutual help and service.
➢ The world is not created because of Man’s sin. But it is a positive product.
But it is a positive product.
➢ It is a great social organisation which covers all aspects of life.
➢ Aquinas also says that the Church also is necessary to secure the eternal
good.
➢ He says that the Church is the highest human institution. Church is superior
to the State.

• Classification of State
➢ Aquinas did not consider any form of government as truly and absolutely
good.
➢ In the classification of governments, Aquinas followed Aristotle.
➢ He believed in the normal forms of Monarchy, Aristocracy, and Democracy
and their perverted forms.

• Functions of the State

1. Promote unity.
2. Promote common goodness instead of individual goodness.

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 3. To remove hindrances to good life of the citizens.
4. Look after the poor.
5. promote right living and virtuous life
6. To Promote peace and happiness and the conditions for the same.
7. Protection and defense of the citizens.
8. Maintenance of civic amenities like roads and bridges.
9. Maintain a just tax regime
10. Introduce and maintain a sound system of coinage, weightage and measures.
11. To reward and promote those who do good.

• Concept of Sovereignty
➢ He gave importance to the people.
➢ He said that from a political angle of view, the source of sovereignty is the
people from the theological point of view, the source of sovereignty is
nothing but God.
➢ A sovereign cannot give a bad law.

• Concept of Supremacy of the Church

➢ According to St. Thomas Aquinas, the state and the church should work in co
operation with each other.
➢ However, the church is supreme over the state.
➢ The church has authority in spiritual matters also while the state has authority
only in worldly matters.
➢ In the event of a conflict between the church and the state, the former must
prevail

• Concept of Ethics
➢ Ethics is concerned with salvation and the ultimate spiritual happiness which
can be achieved through a good worldly life.

• Concept of Slavery
➢ Aquinas supported slavery on the ground that the superior must rule over the
inferior.
➢ Aquinas supported slavery on certain religious grounds.
➢ It is a remedy to wash off sins

• Concept of Monarchy
➢ Monarchy is the best form of government
➢ Only monarchy could promote unity.

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 ➢ The ultimate function of Monarch is bringing virtuous life and happiness to
the people.
➢ The Monarch is under the supreme guidance of the natural law.
➢ In case of a conflict between the Monarch and Papacy, it should be the later
which must win

Theory of Law

➢ He is the person who gave the most importance to the law.

➢ Aristotle made an attempt to formulate a general theory of laws as a concept or
theory.
➢ He said that the whole world should establish one law.
➢ Political laws have their place, the authority of laws does not originate from men, it
has an internal place.
➢ The nature of law has a clear view
➢ Law is related to reason because it is order and standard
➢ Since law is intended for the common good, laws can be made by reason.
➢ Any individual cannot make the appointment either the society should make or their
representatives should make the law for the society.
➢ Based on this the law is classified into four

1. Eternal Law
➢ Eternal law is the law by which God governs the universe.
➢ St. Thomas Aquinas maintained that eternal law emanated from divine
reason.
➢ Though this law is supreme and highest form of expression of reason, the
human mind in its imperfection cannot understand it

2. Natural Law
➢ Law according to Aquinas, evolves out of the reasoning capacity by which
man participates in the eternal law
➢ In which he distinguishes the good from the bad
➢ In other Words Natural Law is derived from eternal law by which man
participate in the law of God.
➢ It is self evident.
➢ Man is able to comprehend it by virtue of his reason
➢ It enables man to differentiate between right and wrong

3. Human Law

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 ➢ Law made by men for regulating the human behaviour in society are known
as human laws.
➢ It is derived from natural law.
➢ It is a positive law. It is man made law.
➢ It is the application of natural law to earthly conditions and it rests on consent
➢ The aim of such law is the establishment of justice, order and peace.
➢ Such positive law, aiming at common good has a coercive sanction.
➢ It is primarily based on reason and the will of the governed or will of the king
acting on their behalf.
➢ Human law is subordinate to natural law.
➢ It takes two forms
• Common law of nations
• Civil law.

➢ The former is very close to Natural Law- for instance, the precept of Natural
Law is to do no evil to anyone
➢ It is enacted by a human agency, for example murder is crime and murder
has to be punished.
➢ Punishment under civil law would depend upon the degree of crime and
gravity of the offence committed under law.

4. Divine Law
➢ St. Thomas Aquinas observed that in addition to natural and human law, a
Divine law was necessary, by which man might be ordered and directed
forward to his supernatural end, which is eternal blessedness.
➢ Divine law is the Command of God’s will and it is communicated to men
through revelation.
➢ The will of God is expressed in the form of revelation to men chosen by God,
in order that it may be passed on to humanity.
➢ Divine Law is a gift of God’s grace, whereas Natural Law is common to all
men.
➢ Divine law is revealed by God to his chosen people.

JUSTICE

➢ Aquinas puts forward Aristotle’s concept of justice.

➢ Justice is defined by the spirit of thought.
➢ Justice is something that is determined.
➢ Justice tries to give everyone what they are entitled to

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 ➢ Justice is closely related to equals, according to Aristotle.
➢ Equitable treatment leads to justice.
➢ Therefore, if justice is to be determined in effect, equality must first be enforced.