In mid-16th century Europe, two intellectual groups, the resistance theorists and counter-revolutionary theorists, reconceptualized the nature of political power. They asked similar questions about the nature of society, government and the right of resistance, but came to very different conclusions. In 1556 the English theorist John Ponet published his Short Treatise on Political Power. Twenty... Continue Reading →
“The History of the Kings of Britain” and “Utopia” as Fictional Unifying Narratives
Geoffrey of Monmouth’s The History of the Kings of Britain is a pseudohistorical narrative of the Kings of Britain published in 1136. It begins with the foundation of the British nation by Trojan exiles and continues for about 2000 years until the Anglo-Saxon invasion and the rise of King Arthur. Thomas More’s Utopia is a... Continue Reading →