Giovanni Botero

Giovanni Botero (c. 1544-1617) was a sixteenth century Italian thinker, priest, poet, and diplomat, best known for his 1589 work The Reason of State. In this work, he argued against the amoral political philosophy associated with Niccolò Machiavelli's The Prince, not only because it lacked a Christian foundation, but also because it simply didn't work. Basing his political and economic ideas primarily on the thought of Thomas Aquinas, Botero argued for a more sophisticated relationship between princes and their subjects, one that would give the people more power in the political and economic matters of the state. In this way, Botero foreshadows the thought of later liberal thinkers, such as John Locke, Adam Smith, and Thomas Malthus.

Related Topics:
1544 - 1617 - 1589 - The Reason of State - Niccolò Machiavelli - The Prince - Thomas Aquinas - Liberal thinkers - John Locke - Adam Smith - Thomas Malthus

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