Defensor pacis: um estudo a partir das causas.

Abstract

The book The Defender of Peace (1324) of Marsiglio of Padua exposes the political-ecclesiological thought of Padua’s philosopher. It’s a reflection of a well-known medieval problem: the conflict between Emperor’s civil power and the spiritual power exercised by the Supreme Pontiff. Marsiglio, Emperator’s supporter, will endeavor to dismantle the plenitude’s theory of papal power which some theologians defend. In this regard, the work is divided into three parts: the first part the paduan’s philosopher exposes a theory about the civitas, its constitution and purpose; in the second part broaches the Church and the priesthood, and, finally, the third part resumes the main theses developed from this work. This paper aims to explain the role that the four causes’s theory plays in the political-ecclesiological thought in the book The Defender of Peace. For this reason the first chapter examined how the causal theory appears on the foundation of civitas and the main elements of the prima diction (social groups, the law and human legislator, and the governor). In the second chapter we discuss the presence of the causal’s theory in ecclesiology marsiliana dysplayed in secunda dictio. Subsequently it will be address the causes that constitute the Church and the priesthood, from Marsiglio point of view. Finally, it will be answered the guiding question: what´s the causal’s theory role in the controversial work of Marsilius?