Drugi Salomon i „mądry król”. „Teologia władzy” i praktyka władania Cesarza Karola IV (zm. 1378)
The Second Solomon and “The Wise Ruler”: “Theology Of Power” and Ruling Practice of Emperor Charles IV (Ob. 1378)

Summary/Abstract: Charles IV introduced himself as the wise ruler. This self-identification allowed to build a considerable integration power. The position of the king, ruling over the estates, corresponded to the function of the highest judge, which was the apex of Charles’s vision of power. He based his position on judicial power bestowed upon him by God and on voluntary submission to canon law. The king used public references to the virtues of humility and gentleness as a political principle. In order to gain the acceptance of such a role of the king, he referred to the medieval theory of soul and vices, and he utilized the existing theological standards. However, he formulated his own identity of a ruler as it suited his ambition. His concept of power was based on the recognized religious standards, but its consistent realization meant a new quality. Charles IV tried to exercise his role of a judge and ruler at the level of perception of scholars, which lead to evident problems. The circle of the learned clergymen was well-known to the court and the knightly estate, but the theological argumentation did not appeal to them. The problem of approving such a strategy of governing the country, just like the question of accepting the written law, depended largely on the degree of education of the subjects, which was a weak point in the monarchy of Charles IV.

• Details
• Contents