CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2012
| Author | Kellner, Anikó |
|---|---|
| Title | Affectionate Interests and Interested Affections - The Normative Language of Early Seventeenth Century Interstate Relations |
| Summary | This PhD thesis investigates the normative political language used in the early seventeenth century interstate relations on the basis of diplomatic letters written by the English, Venetian and French resident ambassadors at Constantinople in the 1620s. The existence of a common language is established and its main components are drawn up while focusing on the two main pillars of the discourse, the concepts of friendship and interest. The ongoing Thirty Years War, as the context of the diplomats’ activity, as well as the cultural milieu of the Porte all contribute to the possibility of a thorough and extensive analysis of data. The first chapter examines the language of interstate relations as patterned after human relations, and then focuses on the discourse of friendship and affections. It argues that the terminology and worldview behind it rested on Ciceronian humanist foundations, which formally were identical in the case of interpersonal and interstate relations. The way this language could operate among states is described with the various senses of a cluster of terms around friendship and affections. The second chapter discusses those objects of the presented affection that served as the right goal for the activity of states. The three main components, common good, peace and fight against tyranny are discussed together with their concrete application in the context of the war. The vocabulary discussed shows a combination of the old and new humanist language, which were smoothly applied together. The third chapter investigates the other main pillar, the concepts of interest and reason of state. It discusses how the two terms could or could not become an integral part of the already existing political language and attempts to give an explanation for the phenomenon. |
| Supervisor | Kontler, László |
| Department | History PhD |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2012/kellnera.pdf |
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