Texts

Here is a list of the texts which will be studied in class. Not all of them will be done in full: but the arguments in all cases are important and will require careful attention. Soft copies of all these texts will be made available before August 1.
Please also note that blog posts are part of the grading process for the course.

Texts
Section 1
Bartolus of Sassoferrato: Treatise on City Government, 1330
Bartolus of Sassoferrato: On the Conflict of Laws, c1340
Marsiglio of Padua: Defensor Pacis, 1324
Giovanni Villani: Extracts from the Florentine Chronicle, c 1340
Francesco Petrarca: Rules for the Successful Ruler, c1350

Section 2
Leonardo Bruni: Panegyric on the City of Florence, 1403-4
Leonardo Bruni: Funeral Oration for Nanni Strozzi, 1427
Baldassare Castiglione: The Courtier, 1528
Desiderius Erasmus: Education of the Christian Prince, 1516

Section 3
Niccolo Machiavelli: The Prince, 1513

Niccolo Machiavelli: The Discourses, 1517

Francesco Guicciardini: Dialogue on the Government of Florence, c1520

Section 4

Jean Bodin: Six Books of the Commonwealth, 1576

Section 5

Martin Luther: On the Robbing and Murderous Horde…, 1525

Jean Calvin: On Civil Government, 1539

Christopher Goodman: Superior Powers, 1558

Philip du Plessis-Mornay: Defense of Liberty, 1579

A few more may emerge as the discussion progresses.

Do start reading the texts, side by side with Skinner's Foundations.

I've put all the relevant texts in the Dropbox folder.