THE ROLE OF PUBLIC OPINION IN JUAN DE MARIANA’S DOCTRINE OF THE RIGHT OF RESISTANCE

Abstract

In his treatise De rege et regis institutione (1599), the Jesuit Juan de Mariana (1536-1624) introduces his doctrine concerning the right of resistance against tyrannical authority. While the appearance of the concept of public opinion in this work has been noted, this study aims to examine to what extent it is possible to speak of such a concept in his writings. This is because the Scholastic author seems to employ the term in a somewhat ambiguous manner. At times, it refers to the opinion of the citizens; on other occasions, it is confused with prestige, admiration, or respect toward the prince; and finally, it is identified with the opinion of a distinguished group of men composed of the clergy and the nobility. To approach the topic, this paper will analyze how Mariana understands what he himself refers to as public opinion in his political treatise De rege et regis institutione and will finally conclude with some discussion regarding whether the concept of public opinion can be said to exist in the work of the author.

Keywords
Juan de Mariana; Right of resistance; Public opinion; Tyranny; Tyrannicide