“Un privilegio particular del Principe” Política, religião e moralidade na teoria da razão de estado de Fernando Alvía de Castro

Abstract

The objective of this study is to understand Fernando de Castro's (1572-1642?) concept of Reason of State, from the analysis of his work: Verdadera Razon de Estado (1616). The study emphasizes how the Logroñes treatisewriter guides the conduct of rulers, highlighting the permissiveness and restrictions of his Theory of the Reason of State. Anchored in the method of Quentin Skinner – as the English historian presents in the Foundations of Modern Political Thought – this is an attemptto trace the origins of the Reason of State concept, as well as to understand the relationship of the work of Alvía de Castro with the intellectuals of his time. In a complementary manner, the study analyzes the way in which Alvía de Castro interprets the works of Aristotle, Cicero, Seneca, and Tacitus, and the importance of these authors in formulating his Theory of the Reason of State.