The Defensor Pacis of Marsilius of Padua

"The Defensor Pacis of Marsilius of Padua" stands as one of the most influential and revolutionary works of medieval political theory. Written in the 14th century, this treatise fundamentally challenged the prevailing power structures of the Middle Ages by arguing for a radical separation of church and state. Marsilius of Padua provides a detailed defense of popular sovereignty, asserting that the authority of the law derives from the consent of the governed-the universitas civium-rather th...