William of Ockham, Dialogus Part 1, Book 7

The Dialogus became an important reference text during the last two centuries of the Middle Ages, especially in the time of troubles associated with the Great Schism. It was printed twice in the later 15th century. One of its most elegant manuscripts was a text belonging to Pope Sixtus IV. Its ideal of an enlightened papacy ("monarchia de concilio peritorum") did not survive the Reformation, though many of its principles percolated into the writings of political philosophers, contributing along with other sources to the rise of constitutional liberalism and responsible government. This final book of Dialogus, Part I is not only a monument celebrating the possible emergence of cooperative political societies from the rubble of autocracies, but also an indication that Ockham's political orientation was essentially pragmatic.

1 - Dialogus 7

George Knysh studied at the University of Manitoba (B.A. University Gold Medal, 1959; M.A, 1962) and at the University of London (London School of Economics and Political Science, Ph.D. 1968) where he completed his dissertation on the political thought of William of Ockham. He went on to become Professor of Political Theory at the University of Manitoba in the Department of Political Studies, from 1964 to 2007. He joined the British Academy's Ockham Dialogus project in 1998.