Very good. However, Wiwkipedia is not something I would consider a worthy source.
Very good. However, Wiwkipedia is not something I would consider a worthy source.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Demonhero
I don't either except for indepth explanations of words rather than events or other things. Used as a dictionary, or a minor reference it works fine.
True enough.
Further data that the term commonwealth is a more accurate term of res publica that was utilized by Marcus Tullius Cicero in his treatise On the Commonwealth from the Greek term of politeia as utilized by Plato and Aristotle.
www.aph.gov.au/SENATE/pubs/pops/pop24/c01.pdf
In addition, the term republic as well as the term commonwealth have had different definitions throughout history and not a single definition. The Roman commonwealth was a change of principle from the Monarchy period and signified a community whose premise of existence was to cooperate and act solely for the common/public good. This differs from the Hobbesian concept of the term commonwealth.
Rome was a republic that changed to a commonwealth. When rome was young and started ruling other nations, those nations were allowed to keep their own governments but not have a say in how they were ruled, this is a republic. It started as a republic, but could not continue to thrive as a republic, because the people they ruled did not have citizenship or a say in their own lives. After christianity was introduced into the roman empire, it became a commonwealth. Each province or state had a say in the roman government.
It is as simple as that, so I really don't understand the argument between you two.
Commonwealth didn't have different meanings throughout history as it comes from later history.
EDIT: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commonwealth
com·mon·wealth Listen to the pronunciation of commonwealth
Pronunciation:
\-ˌwelth also -ˌweltth\
Function:
noun
Date:
15th century
1archaic : commonweal 22: a nation, state, or other political unit: as a: one founded on law and united by compact or tacit agreement of the people for the common good b: one in which supreme authority is vested in the people c: republic 3capitalized a: the English state from the death of Charles I in 1649 to the Restoration in 1660 b: protectorate 1b4: a state of the United States —used officially of Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia5capitalized : a federal union of constituent states —used officially of Australia6often capitalized : an association of self-governing autonomous states more or less loosely associated in a common allegiance (as to the British crown)7often capitalized : a political unit having local autonomy but voluntarily united with the United States —used officially of Puerto Rico and of the Northern Mariana Islands
Check the diffrence between commonweath, lowercase used in this artical, and Commonwealth Uppercase, used by you.Quote:
Originally Posted by Conrad_Jalowski
Hmm, that disagrees with Theodore Mommsen, Edward Gibbon and Moore.
The term of politeia or polity is converted to the Roman term of res publica which is most accurately described in the English language as a commonwealth. Please, bear in mind that the classical commonwealth differs from the Hobbesian commonwealth as well as the modern connotation of the term commonwealth. The term republic could also be utilized although it is too restrictive a term and not a neutral term. The Athenian democracy or the Periclean period or the period of the First Athenian Power: 478-404 BCE is also described as a commonwealth by some scholars/websites. The Holy Roman Empire is also translated as being a commonwealth as according to its motto of
"Sacrum Imperium et Diva Res Publica".
I wonder how this thread would have turned out if it was titled -
Did the Roman government become outdated and politically/structurally irrelevant?
;)
As a republic yes; as a commonwealth, they changed to it too late, so yes they became irrelevant and outdated. However, if they would have started out as a commonwealth, no, I do believe they would have existed well into the 15th century, possibly.Quote:
Originally Posted by Harok
Quote:
Originally Posted by Conrad_Jalowski
Again a miunderstanding, commonwealth, lowercase means the public good, basically, Commonweath capital is a forum of goverment, as in the Holy Roman Empire was a Commonwealth, the two are not interchagabul as you seem to think they are