Sallust's theorem: a comment on ‘fear’ in western political thought

Author: Wood N.

Source: History of Political Thought, Volume 16, Number 2, 1995 , pp. 174-189(16)

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Abstract:

Let me hasten to affirm that this essay, despite its title, is not so much about Sallust as it is a way of examining a specific constellation of ideas. I have used his conception of Roman social change because it seems to bring into focus a prudential commonplace rooted in Greek and Roman culture. No doubt Sallust's views had a strong formative effect on subsequent social and political thought, but I shall make no effort to explore and define this influence. I have simply chosen ‘Sallust's Theorem’ as a point of departure, a heuristic device encapsulating and emphasizing an important notion of ancient antecedents which, together with its ramifications, may possibly illuminate a significant and neglected aspect of early modern political thought.

Keywords: Sallust; Machiavelli; Hobbes; Sallust's Theorem; Rome; Augustine; Bodin

Language: English

Document Type: Research article

Affiliations: 1: York University, Toronto.

Publication date: 1995-01-01