Johannes Althusius: Politica - Hubertlerch.com - HubertLerch.com

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IX POLITICAL SOVEREIGNTY AND ECCLESIASTICAL COMMUNICATION
[§ 1] discussed particular and minor public associations, we turn to the universal
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NOW THAT WE HAVE
and major public
association. In this association many cities and provinces obligate themselves to hold, organize, use, and defend, through their
common energies and expenditures, the right of the realm ( jus regni) 2 in the mutual communication of things and services.
[§ 2] For without these supports, and the right of communication, a pious and just life cannot be established, fostered, and
preserved in universal social life.
[§ 3] Whence this mixed society, constituted partly from private, natural, necessary, and voluntary societies, partly from public
societies, is called a universal association. It is a polity in the fullest sense, an imperium, realm, commonwealth, and people
united in one body by the agreement of many symbiotic associations and particular bodies, and brought together under one right.
For families, cities, and provinces existed by nature prior to realms, and gave birth to them.
Many writers distinguish between a realm ( regnum) and a commonwealth ( republica), relating the former to a monarchical king
and the latter to polyarchical optimates.
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But in my judgment this distinction is not a good one. [§ 4] For ownership of a realm
belongs to the people, and administration of it to the king. Thus Cicero, as cited by Augustine, says “a commonwealth is the weal
of the people, although it may be well and justly ruled either by a king, by a few optimates, or by the whole people.”
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Indeed,
any polity whatever, including a city, can be called a commonwealth, such as the Athenian, Spartan, Hebrew, and Roman
commonwealths, of which many have not been without their kings. …
[§ 5] We will discuss, first, the members of a realm and, then, its right. The members of a realm, or of this universal
symbiotic association, are not, I say, individual men, families, or collegia, as in a private or a particular public association.
Instead, members are many cities, provinces, and regions agreeing among themselves on a single body constituted by mutual
union and communication. Individual persons from these group members are called natives, inhabitants of the realm, and sons
and daughters of the realm. They are to be distinguished from foreigners and strangers, who have no claim upon the right or the
realm. It can be said that individual citizens, families, and collegia are not members of a realm just as boards, nails, and pegs
are not considered parts of a ship, nor rocks, beams, and cement parts of a house. On the other hand, cities, urban communities,
and provinces are members of a realm, just as prow, stern, and keel are members of a ship, and roof, walls, and floor are
essential parts of a house. …
[§ 7] The bond of this body and association is consensus, together with trust extended and accepted among the members of the
commonwealth. The bond is, in other words, a tacit or expressed promise to communicate things, mutual services, aid, counsel
and the same common laws ( jura) to the extent that the utility and necessity of universal social life in a realm shall require.
Even the reluctant are compelled to comply with this communication. However, this does not prevent separate provinces of the
same realm from using different special laws. Plato rightly said that this trust is the foundation of human society, while lack of
trust is its plague, and that trust is the bond of concord among the different members of a commonwealth. For the promise of so
many different men and orders has as its purpose that the diverse actions of the individual parts be referred to the utility and
communion of one commonwealth, and that inferiors be held together with superiors by a certain fairness in the law ( jus). …
[§ 9] The more populous the association, the safer and more fortunate it is. Therefore the depopulation of a city and realm is
understood to be among the more severe punishments. It is useful and necessary to have an abundance of citizens both in time
of war and in time of peace. In time of war a large number can better restrain and hold out against external force. A small
number is more easily and quickly diminished and ruined by a baneful misfortune. … In time of peace a large number of people
augments the public treasury by their taxes, tolls, fines, business, commerce, and goods. …
[§ 10] On the other hand, a commonwealth or region overflowing with an excess of people is not free from disadvantages, and
is exposed to many corruptions. For by such an excess of men all things are more easily consumed and exhausted, a great
scarcity of things develops, and poverty occurs. Nor can so many be ruled easily and well. Nor can concord, good order, and
proper discipline be preserved as easily among many persons. They overflow with sycophants, with wealth and corruption, until
wealth is preferred among them to virtue, bribes to justice, timidity to courage, and evil to good. Just as iron by its nature
produces rust by which it is gradually corroded, and just as ripe fruit produces worms by which it is gradually consumed, so also
large, populous, and mighty imperia
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manifest many corruptions by which they are gradually worn down. Experience testifies
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