Similarities and divergences between the republicanism of Coluccio Salutati and Niccolò machiavelli.

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Authors: Marcone Costa Cerqueira
Cited by: 0

Abstract

Italian Renaissance Humanism expressed a strong influence from classical texts, both Roman and Greek. However, the intricacies of this appropriation of classical thought did not occur in a uniform or systematic way; the Christian-medieval tradition, especially that of the Augustinian school, provided diverse perspectives for interpretation, but also doctrinal obstacles. It is necessary to define the terms that, based on these influences, became central to the original constructions of important political thinkers in order to understand the problem of the republic during this period. We will highlight the figures of Coluccio Salutati and Niccolò Machiavelli, both central thinkers in the process of building a republican tradition in modernity. We will demonstrate how Salutati expresses Augustinian and Ciceronian influences in his main works; as a counterpoint, we will present in Machiavelli's thought an explicit opposition to the theoretical influence of these same authors. To qualify our presentation with greater specificity, we will take as central points the constitution of laws and the formation of the people from the legislative aspect.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Renaissance and Early Modern Studies Seventeenth-Century Political and Philosophical Thought Classical Philosophy and Thought

Publication details

Journal / source
Griot Revista de Filosofia
Volume
26
Issue
1
Pages
128–138
Publication date
28 February 2026
Language
EN