Religion and Power in Hobbes and Marsilius of Padua: Similarities and Differences

Abstract

Marsilius of Padua developed a political theory very different from traditional medieval
thought and he made an unprecedented attempt to base power on rational grounds. The Anglican
Reform used a great deal of ideas taken from Marsilius’ Defensor pacis, a work that has often been seen
as an original anticipation of the modern theory of State. This article presents an investigation into the
close and striking similarities between Marsilius and Hobbes on the status of religion and papal power.
Both authors were strongly touched by the civil war, which they attributed to the temporary power of
the Pope. Therefore they defended the exclusion of the Roman Church from all power in this world, in
order to remove coexisting and competing governments and jurisdictions, as a condition for maintaining
peace. Even though the number of similar arguments in Marsilius’ and Hobbes’ theories show a great
continuity between their political discourses, this essay also analyses the notorious differences between
their thoughts, built in different times and with very different philosophical elements.