Machiavelli and instituent power

This article reconsiders the concept of instituent power from the perspective of Machiavelli’s republicanism. More specifically, it intends to see how the Florentine, while reflecting on the relation between society and institutions in Roman republic, already identifies the defining features of the...

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Main Author: Albano Pina
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Faculdade de Ciências Humanas, Centro de Estudos de Filosofia 2025-01-01
Series:International Journal of Philosophy and Social Values
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Online Access:https://journals.ucp.pt/index.php/philosophyandsocialvalues/article/view/11641
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author Albano Pina
author_facet Albano Pina
author_sort Albano Pina
collection DOAJ
description This article reconsiders the concept of instituent power from the perspective of Machiavelli’s republicanism. More specifically, it intends to see how the Florentine, while reflecting on the relation between society and institutions in Roman republic, already identifies the defining features of the mentioned power: namely, 1) his conflictual nature; 2) his inappropriability; 3) the fact that it consists in a continuous process, without beginning nor end. Additionally, I aim to ascertain what Machiavelli exactly understands by “institution” (in the nominal sense of the word). To this end, I will discuss the meaning and function of Roman “orders” (ordini) as described in his major work, Discourses on Livy. It is not my purpose, in the following, to present Machiavelli as a systematic theoretician of instituent power. I merely try, through an overview of the Discourses, to bring to light certain elements that intervene, or are implied, in such a concept, and that remain largely unthematized.
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issn 2184-2787
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Faculdade de Ciências Humanas, Centro de Estudos de Filosofia
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series International Journal of Philosophy and Social Values
spelling doaj-art-29f87a3b1c48406e840a0be0571c5e812025-01-22T19:04:34ZengUniversidade Católica Portuguesa, Faculdade de Ciências Humanas, Centro de Estudos de FilosofiaInternational Journal of Philosophy and Social Values2184-27872025-01-014110.34632/philosophyandsocialvalues.2024.11641Machiavelli and instituent powerAlbano Pina This article reconsiders the concept of instituent power from the perspective of Machiavelli’s republicanism. More specifically, it intends to see how the Florentine, while reflecting on the relation between society and institutions in Roman republic, already identifies the defining features of the mentioned power: namely, 1) his conflictual nature; 2) his inappropriability; 3) the fact that it consists in a continuous process, without beginning nor end. Additionally, I aim to ascertain what Machiavelli exactly understands by “institution” (in the nominal sense of the word). To this end, I will discuss the meaning and function of Roman “orders” (ordini) as described in his major work, Discourses on Livy. It is not my purpose, in the following, to present Machiavelli as a systematic theoretician of instituent power. I merely try, through an overview of the Discourses, to bring to light certain elements that intervene, or are implied, in such a concept, and that remain largely unthematized. https://journals.ucp.pt/index.php/philosophyandsocialvalues/article/view/11641ConstitutionalismInstituent powerMachiavelliRoman republic
spellingShingle Albano Pina
Machiavelli and instituent power
International Journal of Philosophy and Social Values
Constitutionalism
Instituent power
Machiavelli
Roman republic
title Machiavelli and instituent power
title_full Machiavelli and instituent power
title_fullStr Machiavelli and instituent power
title_full_unstemmed Machiavelli and instituent power
title_short Machiavelli and instituent power
title_sort machiavelli and instituent power
topic Constitutionalism
Instituent power
Machiavelli
Roman republic
url https://journals.ucp.pt/index.php/philosophyandsocialvalues/article/view/11641
work_keys_str_mv AT albanopina machiavelliandinstituentpower