Description
Tacitus and Tacitism in Spain
Book Summary
This collective work examines the dual influence of the Roman historian Tacitus on European thought, focusing on his specific reception in Spain. The reader will find a rigorous analysis of how his historical texts and political philosophy, known as Tacitism, were interpreted and adapted during the 16th and 17th centuries. The book offers a multidisciplinary perspective that connects classical historiography with modern political theory, uncovering the keys to a current of thought that shaped the reason of state in Baroque Spain.
What is it about?
The work addresses the figure of Cornelius Tacitus from a dual perspective. On one hand, it analyzes his legacy as a historian of Imperial Rome, valuing his critical method and his penetrating description of power and corruption. On the other, it explores the phenomenon of Tacitism, a current of political thought that, based on the reinterpretation of his works, flourished throughout Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries. The study focuses on the particular impact of this movement in Spain, examining how Spanish thinkers and politicians of the time used Tacitean teachings to justify and understand the exercise of power, the reason of state, and political morality in the context of the rise and decline of the Hispanic Empire.
Main themes
- Analysis of Tacitus's historical work and method as a primary source.
- Development and evolution of Tacitism as a political doctrine in modern Europe.
- Reception, adaptation, and use of Tacitism in the political thought and governance practices of 16th and 17th-century Spain.
- Relationship between classical historiography, political philosophy, and state theory in the Baroque period.
- Reason of state and Machiavellianism from the perspective of Hispanic Tacitism.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at university students, researchers, and professionals in history, political philosophy, classical philology, and the humanities in general. It will also be of great interest to readers with a background in the history of political ideas, the thought of the Spanish Golden Age, and the influence of the classics on modernity.
What this book contributes
- An updated and multidisciplinary vision of a key intellectual phenomenon of the Spanish and European Baroque.
- It delves into the connection between classical thought and modern political theory, showing its analytical relevance.
- It offers keys to understanding the complex relationship between morality, power, and history in Hapsburg Spain.
- It brings together the research of various specialists, providing a choral and rigorous perspective on the subject.
Technical data
- Author: Badillo O'Farrell, Pablo; et al.
- Publisher: Anthropos Editorial
- Language: Spanish
- Topic: LITERARY ESSAYS, HUMANITIES, SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY, HISTORY OF IDEAS, POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES
- Collection: HUMANISM
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication date: January 2014
- Number of pages: 336
- Weight: 408 g
Editorial assessment
This is a reference work for those wishing to delve into the history of political thought from a scholarly and well-documented perspective. The book stands out for its ability to build bridges between classical antiquity and modernity, offering a detailed analysis of how a Roman author could decisively influence the configuration of ideas regarding power and the State in Baroque Spain. Its choral approach and academic rigor make it a valuable tool for both research and teaching in the humanities.