The Concept of Sovereignty in the Political Philosophy – From Antiquity to the Contemporary Epoch

  • Alexandru ARSENI Faculty of Law, Moldova State University, Republic of Moldova
  • Veronica POZNEACOVA Faculty of Law, Moldova State University, Republic of Moldova
Keywords: sovereignty, political philosophy, state power, ruler, state’s order, constitution, UN, EU

Abstract

The concept of state power represents the dominant theme of the whole political philosophy. The concept of sovereignty, which in contemporary epoch became the norm of constitutional law and unanimously recognized principle of international law, has concerned philosophical minds since antiquity to nowadays. The best minds of humanity contemplated about the essence of the state power. The major thinkers of all times were finding out the answer to the question “How should be organized the state so that all people to be happy?” The answer to this question is connected with the concept of sovereignty, which was developed during the humanity’s history. The idea of sovereignty refers to the state body or the person who exercises state power. So, for each epoch is characteristic its own vision of this concept, that reflects, on the one hand, the entire structure of society, and, on the other hand, the state’s ruler position. The sovereignty, which appeared as the concept in the Greek Antiquity, was developed in the Meddle Age and Modern Era and fully formed in the contemporary era, being the component part of majority national constitutions. This article is a study dedicated to determining the specific aspects of sovereignty in the background of the idea’s history. A doctrinal and practical interest in the concept of sovereignty is based on the political and legal dimension of this notion in the actual state construction. As a result of this research, we aimed to determine the role and the regulation of sovereignty in the cotemporaneous state order at national and international level. This research paper focuses on the presentation of the philosophical aspects of this concept of constitutional law.

References

Annan, K. (1999). Two Concepts of Sovereignty', The Economist, 18 September. Online: Two concepts of sovereignty | United Nations Secretary-General.
Arseni A. (2019). Legitimitatea mandatului reprezentativ în exercitarea suveranității naționale, Chișinău: CEP USM Printing House
Bădescu, M. (2002). Conceptele fundamentale în teoria și filosofia dreptului, Școli și curente în gândirea juridică, Lumina Lex Publishing House, Bucharest.
Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany Online: https://www.btg-bestellservice.de/pdf/80201000.pdf
Bell, D. (2019, March 26). Humanitarian intervention. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/humanitarian-intervention
Birmo A., (1978). Les arands courants de la philosophier du dreit et de L’Etat, Ed. A. Pedone, Paris,
Butllowa, History of the theory of sovereignty, quote after Willis, Hugh Evander, (1929). The Doctrine of Sovereignty Under the United States Constitution. Articles by Maurer Faculty. 1256. Retrieved from https://www.repository.law.indiana.edu/facpub/1256
Capcelea, V. (2004). Filosofia dreptului: Manual pentru instituții de învățământ superior, Chisinau, Arc Publishing House
Consolidated Version of The Treaty on The Functioning of The European Union Official, EN Journal of the European Union C 326/47 26.10.2012. Retrieved from https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:12012E/TXT&from=EN
Constitution of the Republic of France OF OCTOBER 4, 1958 Retrieved from https://www.conseil-constitutionnel.fr/sites/default/files/as/root/bank_mm/anglais/constiution_anglais_oct2009.pdf
Constitution of the Republic of Moldova Published: 29.03.2016 in Monitorul Oficial no. 78 Article No. 140 Effective date: 08/27/1994 Online: Constitution of the Republic of Moldova — Presidency of the Republic of Moldova (presedinte.md)
Coșleț, N. (2019). Impactul calității de membru a statului în cadrul ONU, NATO și UE asupra suveranității statului. In Realităţi şi perspective ale învăţământului juridic naţional: (Vol. 1, pp. 667-674). ISBN 78-9975-149-79-2.
Declaration of Independence of the Republic of Moldova Adopted in Chisinau, by the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova on this day, the 27th of August, 1991. Online: Declaration of Independence of the Republic of Moldova — Presidency of the Republic of Moldova (presedinte.md)
Declaration of the sovereignty of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Moldova adopted on June 23, 1990 Nr.148-XII din 23.06.90 "Vesti" Nr. 8/192, 1990 Online: Declaraţia de suveranitate a Republicii Sovietice Socialiste Moldova (RSSM) (istoria.md).
Deleanu, I. (1993). Drept constituțional și instituții politice, Iași, vol. 1, Cugetarea Printing House.
Drăganu, T. (1998). Drept constituțional și instituții politice, vol.1, București Lumina Lex Printing House.
European Sovereignty Online: European Sovereignty – European Council on Foreign Relations (ecfr.eu).
France of the XVI century. Retrieved from http://o-france.ru/frantsiya-xvi-veka.html
Georgescu, P. A. (2001). Filosofia dreptului în contextual actualității. Tratat și antologie de texte, Bucharest, Titu Maioarescu University Publishing House.
Georgescu, Ș. (2001) Filosofia dreptului. O istorie a ideilor din ultimii 2500 de ani. Bucharest, ALL BECK.
Grotius, H. (1968). Despre dreptul războiului și al păcii, București, Scientific Publishing House.
Guceac, I. (2001). Curs elementare de drept constituțional, vol. 1, Chisinau, Central Printing House.
Guceac, I. (2004). Curs elementare de drept constituțional, vol. 2, Chisinau, Central Printing House.
Guceac, I. (2014). Constituția la răscruce de milenii, Chișinău, Central Printing House.
Hinsley, F. H. (1998). Suveranitate, Chișinău, Știința Printing House.
Hirst, K. K. (2018). Feudalism - A Political System of Medieval Europe and Elsewhere. Retrieved from http://thoughtco.com/feudalism-political-system-of-medieval-europe-170918.
Ionescu, C. (2015). Câteva consideratii pe marginea art. 29 din Constitutia României, revizuite. Pandectele Romane, (12), 17. Retrieved from https://www.juridice.ro/343767/cateva-consideratii-pe-marginea-art-2-alin-1-din-constitutie.html
Rousseau, J. J. (1957). Despre Contractul Social sau Principiile Dreptului Politic, București,
Klimenko, O., & Mirzoev, A. (2016). The development of the concept of sovereignty from Marsilius of Padua to Hegel, Legal science. № 3, Ryazan Online: Развитие понятия суверенитета от Марсилия Падуанского до Гегеля (cyberleninka.ru) ISSN: 2218-7499.
Kondurov, V. (2016). Karl Schmitt's Philosophy of the State Final qualifying work of the 2nd year student of the master's program of the 2nd stream of group No. 030901 of full-time education, St. Petersburg. Retrieved from https://dspace.spbu.ru/bitstream/11701/5129/1/Vypusknaya_kvalifikacionnaya_rabota_%28Kondurov_V_E_%29.docx
Ladner, G. B. (2020, October 7). Boniface VIII. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Boniface-VIII
Leung, J. (2012). Machiavelli and International Relations Theory. Glendon Journal of International Studies, 1. Retrieved from https://gjis.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/gjis/article/view/35136
Locke, J. (1999). Al doilea tratat despre cârmuire. Scrisoare despre toleranță. Bucharest Nemira.
Lungu, D. (2013) Niccolo Machiavelli Online: Niccolo Machiavelli. Retrieved from http://societatesicultura.ro
Machiavelli, N. (1998), The Sovereign, Moscow: EKSMO-Press; Kharkiv: Folio.
Machiavelli, N. (1950). The Prince and The Discourses. New York: Modem Library.
Mattern, J. (1928). Concepts of State, Sovereignty and International Law: With Special Reference to the Juristic Conception of the State. Johns Hopkins Press.
Montesquieu, C. (1964). Despre spiritul legilor, București, vol. 1, Scientific Publishing House.
Morocco's Constitution of 2011. Retrieved from https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Morocco_2011.pdf?lang=en
Noţiuni generale privind suveranitatea 03.04.2019 Online: Noţiuni generale privind suveranitatea - Biblioteca Digitala Online de Administratie si Management (administrare.info)
Paduansky, M. (2014). Defender of the World. Defensor pacis / translated from the French by Yesenov B. U., scientific editor, Lupareva G., Moscow, Publishing and Trading Corporation "Dashkov and K"
Popa, N., Dogaru, I., Dănișor, G., & Claudiu, D. D. (2002). Filosofia dreptului. Marile curente, Bucharest, ALL BECK.
Râbca, E., Zaharia, V., Mărgineanu, V., & Ciobanu R. (2016). Filosofia dreptului, Chisinau, Artpoligraf Publishing House.
Rasheda Parveen Literature and Social History, Unit 1 Medieval Period: Feudalism and Role of the Church. Retrieved from https://ddceutkal.ac.in/Syllabus/MA_English/Paper_03.pdf
Schmitt, K. (2000). Political Theology. Moscow, KANON-PRESS-Lj kuchkovo FIELD.
Shumkov, D. V. (2002). Socio-legal foundations of the state sovereignty of the Russian Federation (historical and theoretical analysis): abstract of the dissertation of the Doctor of Law. St. Petersburg.
Stere C., (2016). Curs de drept constituțional, Chișinău, Cartier Printing House.
The Belgian Constitution This publication contains the text of the Belgian Constitution as updated following the sixth institutional reform (constitutional revisions of 6 January 2014 – Belgian Official Gazette of 31 January 2014) May 2014 Belgian House of Representatives. Retrieved from http://extwprlegs1.fao.org/docs/pdf/bel135227E.pdf
The Church’s Role in Feudalism. The Church’s Role in Feudalism – Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church – ELCA (graceeluth.org).
Toma d’Aquino, Summa contra Gentiles ( Împotriva erorilor necredincioșilor) citat după Zăpârțan Liviu Petru, (1994). Doctrine politice, Iași, Chemarea Printing House.
Transcript of the Declaration (as adopted). Retrieved from https://www.monticello.org/thomas-jefferson/jefferson-s-three-greatest-achievements/the-declaration/transcript-of-the-declaration/
United Nations Charter (full text) Online: United Nations Charter (full text) | United Nations.
Voiculescu M.,(1992). Istoria doctrinelor politice, București, Hyperion XXI Printing House.
Vrabie G., (1992). Drept constituțional și instituții politice, Iași, “CUGETAREA” Printing House.
Willis, Hugh Evander. The Doctrine of Sovereignty Under the United States Constitution" (1929). Articles by Maurer Faculty. 1256. Retrieved from https://www.repository.law.indiana.edu/facpub/1256
Published
2021-08-04
How to Cite
ARSENI, A., & POZNEACOVA, V. (2021, August 4). The Concept of Sovereignty in the Political Philosophy – From Antiquity to the Contemporary Epoch. Humanities and Social Science Research, 4(3), p1. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.30560/hssr.v4n3p1
Section
Articles