History of the Development of the Concept of Sovereignty

The ancient Greeks who invented so much of political theory never needed the word “sovereignty” at all — their city-states were too small and too participatory for the question to arise. The word had to wait for kings, popes and a Europe torn apart by religious war before anyone needed it. Knowing why explains what the word is actually for.

In two minutes

Sovereignty is not a timeless idea found in every political system; it is a historically specific concept that emerged in early modern Europe, as rulers asserting supreme, undivided authority over a fixed territory needed a word for what they were claiming against rival Church and feudal powers.

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