Political Thought In Medieval Times

by John B. Morrall

An overview of the development of political thinking from the end of the Roman Empire to the Refornation (about 350 to 1500)

Genres: History

152 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1958

Reviews

[Coyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delivers exactly what it promises, while remaining readable and engaging. Morrall covers a large chunk of time (from Augustine to the Reformation) fairly comprehensively without going into too much detail. He covers many different areas, including: the transition in political thought from the Augustinian view that politics is mired in sin to the Aquinan view that politics is a positive good, and can help man advance; the question of authority (specifically who should have it); the role of the law (surprisingly, law was the primary concern- government was never arbitrary at the will of a king in the Middle Ages, despite what the popular wisdom holds); and the growth and collapse of the idea of "Christendom", where church and state exist in harmony. There were of course areas which could have used more attention (the Crusades were only glossed over, though this was also written before the late 20th century renaissance in Crusades studies), but Morrall does a good job of making a difficult period clear and interesting.

Recommended for those interested in philosophy, history, and politics.

[Gordon Goodwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not particularly groundbreaking but a great and concise reference book.

[LeeAnn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very dryly written, and nothing terribly original in it. More or less a compendium of things read in other books through the years.