La revolución sin revolución en la teoría política pleno-medieva: el tiranicidio y la ausencia de acción colectiva en el Policraticus

Abstract

It has been assumed that the absence of ascending principles of power in medieval political theory hindered the development of revolutionary theories with which to face the misuses of the political system. Nevertheless, tyranny and its implications were a real problem and a frequent topic of discussion among medieval thinkers. In the middle of the 12^th century, John of Salisbury formulated a theoretical model of opposition and rupture against tyranny, without contradicting the dominant theory of the power. He articulated the legitimacy of the opposition through the defense of natural law. In this way, raising the issue of tyrannicide in his Policraticus as a hypothetical possible end for the tyrant, he articulated an implicit type of proto-revolutionary theory for the opposition and the reaction against the abuses of an illegitimate power.