History of the concept of representation. Elements for the construction of the modern theory of political representation I

• Published in: Politička misao Vol. 48; no. 3; pp. 167 - 195
• Main Authors: Ribarevic, Luka, Vujeva, Domagoj
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Croatian; English
• Published: 01.01.2011
• Subjects: Ancient Rome; Canons; Christianity; Civil Law; Hegel, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich; History; Hobbes, Thomas; Identity; Law; Legal systems; Middle Ages; Political Representation; Religion; Representation
• ISSN: 0032-3241

In this text, the authors' starting point is that the modern conception of representation, decisively connected with the state as modern type of political order, not only represents a radical cut with regard to pre-modern forms of representation, but is also the result of evolution through which many key elements of the antique and medieval perception of representation were built into the modern perception. This is confirmed by two eminently modern theories of representation: the theory of Hobbes and the theory of Hegel. In both cases, the theories prove to be largely based on the antique and medieval legal-political heritage. With Hobbes, the basis consists primarily of the idea of legal representation, and with Hegel, of the idea of identity representation. Both ideas are gradually developed in civil law and canon law. This part of the text focuses on the part of history of representation which culminated in the perception of representation according to the model of legal representation. For this purpose, the authors first discuss the definition of representation in the Roman period and in early Christianity, and then they investigate how the antique heritage was reinterpreted in medieval civil law and canon law. Adapted from the source document.