The Problematics of Obligations in the Political and Legal Thought of the Renaissance

The article is devoted to understanding the category of obligation in the political and legal thought of the Renaissance. The study analyzes the works of F. Bacon, N. Machiavelli, J. Bodin and J. Althusius. Considering the views of F. Bacon, the author concludes that Bacon’s understanding of obligations is based on the established commandment of love, which should be guided by man in his actions and deeds. Thus, Bacon, above all, speaks of obligations in the Christian sense as manifestations of love of neighbor. In “Discourses on the First decade of Titus Livius”, N. Machiavelli outlines a kind of “obligation” of the republic and the prince to refrain from insulting citizens. He also formulates the obligation that a virtuous citizen should follow – to forget about the insults caused to him out of love for the homeland. The main obligation of the prince, based on the work of the “The Prince”, is the art of war. In addition to the above, it is also the obligation of the princes to try to retain power, to win, regardless of the means they use to do so. Regarding the people, the prince has such obligations as: to reward gifted citizens, to persuade them to quietly engage in crafts and trade, to arrange their possessions, but also to engage citizens in celebrations and spectacles at the right time. The author concludes that the issue of obligations in Machiavelli is wrapped up in political goals, which are ultimately aimed at preserving, strengthening the state, cohesion of the people. In Boden’s political and legal conception, it is the category of obligation (obligation between subject and sovereign) that forms citizenship, underlies the understanding of the law (as the sovereign’s order to exercise its power), and is associated with the first attribute of sovereignty. In this case, the sovereign and the citizen are bound by mutual obligations – the sovereign provides protection of the citizens and his property, and the citizens – obeys the will of the sovereign and shows faith and obedience to authority. Views on the obligations of the German thinker J. Althusius are set out in his work “Politica”, analyzing which, the author concludes that the whole system of obligations of J. Althusius is based on God’s commandments, the commandments of love of neighbor. Regarding the sovereigns, they should take care of the soul and body of their citizens, especially in the direction of their noesis of God’s laws and their protection.