
Jean Bodin Was A Figure Of Great Importance In European Intellectual History, Known As A Jurist, Associate Of Kings And Courtiers In Sixteenth-century France, And Author Of Influential Works In The Fields Of Constitutional And Social Thought, Historical Writing, Witchcraft, And A Great Deal Else Besides. Best Known For His Contribution To Formulating The Modern Doctrine Of Sovereignty, Bodin Was A Scholar Of Exceptional Range, Whose Works Provoked Controversy In His Own Time And Have Continued To Do So Down The Centuries. Hugh Trevor-roper Described Him As 'the Aristotle, The Montesquieu Of The Sixteenth Century, The Prophet Of Comparative History, Of Political Theory, Of The Philosophy Of Law, Of The Quantitative Theory Of Money, And Of So Much Else'. Much Has Been Written On Bodin And His Ideas, But In This New Intellectual Biography, Howell A. Lloyd Presents The First Rounded Treatment Of The Thinker And His Times, His Writings (major And Minor), And His Ideas In Their Contemporary Context, As Well As In That Of Broader Intellectual Traditions.
This intellectual biography investigates the life and multifaceted contributions of Jean Bodin to determine his enduring significance in sixteenth-century European thought. Howell A. Lloyd, a specialist in early modern European history, synthesizes Bodin's extensive body of work—ranging from constitutional theory and historical methodology to his controversial writings on witchcraft and economics—to provide a comprehensive portrait of the man. The text argues that Bodin's ideas on sovereignty and comparative history must be understood within the specific political and social volatility of the French Renaissance.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Scholars recognize this work as a definitive intellectual biography that successfully bridges the gap between Bodin's political theory and his broader scholarly output. Readers frequently note the academic rigor and depth of the research, making it a primary resource for students of early modern political thought.
Page Count:
336
Publication Date:
2017-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0192520644
ISBN-13:
9780192520647
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