Jean Bodin was a French jurist, philosopher, and political theorist of the Renaissance. He is famous for developing the modern theory of state sovereignty in *The Six Books of the Commonwealth* (1576).
Jean Bodin(1530 — 1596)
Jean Bodin
France
6 min read
Frequently asked questions
Famous Quotes
« There is no wealth nor strength but in men.»
Key Facts
- Born around 1529 or 1530 in Angers
- Published *The Six Books of the Commonwealth* in 1576, founding the modern theory of sovereignty
- Member of the Third Estate at the Estates-General of Blois in 1576
- Author of *On the Demon-Mania of Witches* (1580), a treatise on witchcraft
- Died in 1596 in Laon, carried off by the plague
Works & Achievements
A treatise on historical method that proposes comparing peoples and political regimes in order to draw political lessons from them. A founding work of comparative history.
An economic essay explaining the rise in prices through the influx of precious metals from America. In it, Bodin anticipates the quantity theory of money.
A major work that, for the first time, defines sovereignty as an absolute and perpetual power. It marks the birth of the modern theory of the State.
A treatise demanding the harsh repression of witchcraft. Widely read at the time, it reveals the persistent beliefs of the Renaissance in the face of the supernatural.
A vast reflection on the order of nature and humankind's place in the universe. It is one of Bodin's last works, more philosophical and scientific in character.
A dialogue that remained in manuscript form, in which seven characters of different religions debate with tolerance. Bold for its time, it was not published until much later.
Anecdotes
Jean Bodin lived in the midst of the Wars of Religion, which were tearing France apart between Catholics and Protestants. For him, only a strong and indivisible royal authority could put an end to the chaos and guarantee civil peace: it was from this anxiety that his famous theory of sovereignty was born.
In 1576, Bodin was elected as a deputy of the Third Estate to the Estates-General of Blois. There he courageously opposed the resumption of war against the Protestants and defended the protection of the people's property, which earned him the disfavour of King Henry III despite his immense reputation as a scholar.
Curiously, the great theorist of the rational state also wrote a sensational treatise on witchcraft, the *Démonomanie des sorciers* (1580), in which he called for harsh prosecution of witches. This paradox reminds us that even the most brilliant minds of the Renaissance remained shaped by the beliefs of their time.
Bodin was one of the first to explain the rising prices of his century by the massive influx of gold and silver from the Americas. This insight, set out as early as 1568, makes him a forerunner of modern economic thinking on currency and inflation.
Suspected for a time of sympathies for the Reformation, Bodin was imprisoned in Paris during the religious troubles. Cautious, he ended his days as the king's prosecutor in Laon, where he died of the plague in 1596.
Primary Sources
Sovereignty is the absolute and perpetual power of a Commonwealth.
A Commonwealth is a lawful government of several households, and of that which they have in common, with sovereign power.
I find that the high cost of all things comes chiefly from the abundance of gold and silver.
My principal aim is to serve as a warning to all who shall read it, so that they may not think witches to be so few in number.
History is the true narration of things, the knowledge of which leads to prudence and political wisdom.
Key Places
Town in Anjou where Jean Bodin was born around 1530. He spent his childhood there before studying law.
Bodin studied here and taught Roman law at the famous law faculty during the 1550s.
Bodin worked here as a lawyer at the Parlement and frequented the court. He also spent time in prison here during the religious troubles.
Bodin sat here as a deputy of the Third Estate at the Estates General of 1576, where he defended peace and the liberties of the people.
Town in Picardy where Bodin became the king's prosecutor and spent his final years. He died there of the plague in 1596.
Typical Objects
A weighty printed treatise setting out the theory of sovereignty. Reissued and translated across Europe, it became a reference work for jurists and princes alike.
The jurist's everyday writing instruments. With them Bodin composed his treatises, his legal pleadings and his scholarly correspondence in Latin and French.
A long black robe worn by lawyers and men of law in the sixteenth century. It marked the status and authority of those who practised in the courts of justice.
Manuscript and printed compilations of Roman laws and local customs. Bodin relied on them to compare political regimes and to ground his science of law.
A small seal used to authenticate official acts and correspondence. As the king's prosecutor, Bodin sealed legal documents of the royal administration.
A movable-type machine that spread Bodin's works widely across Europe. Without printing, his ideas on sovereignty would never have reached such a wide audience.
School Curriculum
Vocabulary & Tags
Key Vocabulary
Daily Life
Morning
Bodin rose early to study in his private office, surrounded by books of law and history. The morning was devoted to reading ancient texts, writing his treatises, and preparing his legal cases.
Afternoon
In the afternoon, the man of law would go to the Parlement or the courthouse to plead cases and give counsel. He also met with other scholars and magistrates to discuss politics and law.
Evening
In the evening, by candlelight, Bodin continued his writings and his learned correspondence. This was the hour for scholarly conversation and reflection on the great questions of his time.
Food
Like the well-to-do bourgeoisie of the Renaissance, Bodin ate bread, soups, meat, and fish on days of abstinence, washed down with wine cut with water. Spices and fruits enhanced the meals of people of his rank.
Clothing
He wore the long black robe of men of law, a sign of his authority as a jurist. Beneath the robe, a doublet, hose, and a linen ruff completed the sober attire of a respectable magistrate.
Housing
Bodin lived in a comfortable town house, with a study furnished with a rich library. These homes of the well-to-do bourgeoisie had several rooms, furnished with chests, tables, and wooden seats.
Historical Timeline
Period Vocabulary
Liens externes & ressources
Références
Œuvres
Methodus ad facilem historiarum cognitionem
1566
La Réponse aux paradoxes de Monsieur de Malestroit
1568
Les Six Livres de la République
1576
De la Démonomanie des sorciers
1580
Universae naturae theatrum
1596
Colloquium heptaplomeres (Le Colloque des sept savants)
vers 1588
