Althusius, Johannes

Althusius, Johannes

▪ Dutch political scientist
(Latin),   German  Johannes Althaus 
born 1557, Diedenshausen, Wittgenstein-Berleberg [now Thionville, France]
died Aug. 12, 1638, Emden, East Friesland [Germany]

      German political theorist who was the intellectual father of modern federalism and an advocate of popular sovereignty.

      After philosophic and legal studies in Switzerland, Althusius was a professor at the University of Herborn in Nassau until 1604, when he became syndic of the town of Emden in the German province of East Friesland (Ostfriesland). He wrote a noted general treatise on Roman law, as well as other legal essays, but his principal work was Politica methodice digesta atque exemplis sacris et profanis illustrata (1603, enlarged 1610 and 1614), a systematized tract on all forms of human association.

      Althusius elaborated five principal types of association, each a combination of the preceeding: the family, the voluntary corporation, the local community, the province, and lastly the state. A series of social contracts sustains the system as new groups are brought into existence. Each of his groups has an independent existence. Through his discussion of the complex relations between levels and the different types of associational arrangements, he developed a comprehensive theory of federalism as the means of achieving national unity, in which sovereignty, resting in the people through their groups, cannot be transferred because it is essential to the being of the political community.

      While reflecting Calvinist puritanism, Althusius stressed that each social group is to be justified by providing a full and happy life to its members. For several centuries interest in Althusius was slight until he was rediscovered early in the 20th century by Otto Friedrich von Gierke (Gierke, Otto Friedrich von).

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Althusius, Johannes — nome lat. di Altusio, Giovanni …   Sinonimi e Contrari. Terza edizione

  • Althusius — Johannes Althusius, Kupferstich 1650 Johannes Althusius (auch: Althaus, Alphusius; * um 1563 in Diedenshausen; † 1638 in Emden, Ostfriesland), war ein deutscher Rechtsgelehrter, calvinistischer Staatstheoretiker, Stadtsyndikus und Politiker (ab… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Johannes Althusius — (1563 August 12, 1638) Encyclopædia Britannica , [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article 9005931/Johannes Althusius Britannica JohannesA Johannes Althusius] ] was a Calvinist philosopher and theologian. He is most famous for his 1603 work, Politica …   Wikipedia

  • Althusius — Johannes Althusius Johannes Althusius, gravure de Jean Jacques Boissard Johannes Althusius (1557 – 12 août 1638) est un philosophe et théologien calviniste bien que ses idées soient très éloignées du modèle théocratique calviniste …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Johannes Limnaeus — Johannes Limnäus, eigentlich Johann Wirn, (* 5. Januar 1592 in Jena; † 13. Mai 1663 in Ansbach) war ein deutscher Staatsrechtler. Der Name Limnäus ist ein Pseudonym: „Wirn“ bedeutet Weiher[1], altgriechisch limne. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Leben …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Althusius — Althusius,   Johannes, Rechtsgelehrter, * Diedenshausen (heute zu Bad Berleburg) 1557, ✝ Emden 12. 8. 1638; wurde 1586 Professor in Herborn, 1604 Stadtsyndikus in Emden. Auf der Grundlage des kalvinistischen Determinismus entwickelte er unter dem …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Johannes Althusius — (1557 12 de agosto de 1638) [1] fue un filósofo y teólogo calvinista, conocido por su obra Politica Methodica …   Wikipedia Español

  • Johannes-Althusius-Gymnasium — Das Johannes Althusius Gymnasium Emden (JAG) ist ein Gymnasium in der Stadt Emden in Ostfriesland mit einer Außenstelle in Pewsum in der benachbarten Gemeinde Krummhörn. In Pewsum werden zurzeit rund 370 Schülerinnen und Schüler (Stand: 29.… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Johannes Althusius — Johannes Althusius, Kupferstich 1650 Johannes Althusius (auch: Althaus, Alphusius; * um 1563[1] in Diedenshausen; † 12. August 1638 in Emden, Ostfriesland), war ein deutscher Rechtsgelehrter, calvinistischer Staatstheoretiker, Stadtsy …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Johannes Althusius — Johannes Althusius, gravure de Jean Jacques Boissard Johannes Althusius (1557 – 12 août 1638) est un philosophe et théologien réformé allemand, syndic municipal de la ville d Emden de 1 …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”