French jurist and political philosopher (c. 1529/1530 to 1596) best known for Six Books of the Commonwealth (Les Six Livres de la Republique, 1576), which introduced the modern concept of indivisible, perpetual sovereignty as the defining mark of the state. Also wrote on comparative government, political economy and, controversially, on witchcraft and demonology in De la Demonomanie des Sorciers (1580).
Facts
Notable PublicationSix Books of the Commonwealth (1576) 1 Death YearDied at Laon in June 1596; the exact day is not agreed among sources. TraditionEarly modern sovereignty theory (French Renaissance political thought) 1 Disputed
Birth YearSources give 1529 or 1530 for Bodin's birth in Angers; no birth record survives, and his identity is further complicated by other men named Jean Bodin active in the same period and region. Connections
In Branch
Source Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Works Attributed
Source Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
In the Other Atlases
- Also in Geography Atlas: France, originated there.
- Also in Political Atlas: Jean Bodin, the same subject.
Sources
1. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Stanford University, Center for the Study of Language and Informationentry: Jean Bodin, Life
Bodin’s spiritual beliefs did not coincide with any official religion of his day, but instead resembled a form of natural religion.
entry: Jean Bodin
His most significant work, The Six Books of the Commonwealth (Les Six livres de la Republique, 1576), represents the sum total of legal and political thought of the French Renaissance.
- In Category: Philosophers
- In Branch: Political Philosophy
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