Policraticus

work by John of Salisbury

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July 1, 2026

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The Policraticus (1159) by John of Salisbury is a significant work of medieval political philosophy. It centers on the concept of the ideal ruler, who embodies "public power" and governs according to law, in contrast to a tyrant who oppresses with arbitrary authority. John of Salisbury, a prominent Latin scholar and bishop, drew heavily on classical sources and Christian thought.

He famously used the metaphor of the human body to describe the state, with the prince as the head, the senate as the heart, and other officials and citizens fulfilling roles analogous to the body's various parts. This vision of a centralized, lawful government, though perhaps more suited to the memory of the Roman Empire, marked a revival of speculative thought in the 12th century.1

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political philosophy
John of Salisbury
…in the West until the Policraticus (1159), by John of Salisbury. Based on John’s wide Classical reading, it centers on the ideal ruler, who represents a “public power.” John admired the Roman emperors Augustus and Trajan, and, in a still predominantly feudal world, his book carried on the Roman tradition…
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…in the West until the Policraticus (1159), by John of Salisbury. Based on John’s wide Classical reading, it centers on the ideal ruler, who represents a “public power.” John admired the Roman emperors Augustus and Trajan, and, in a still predominantly feudal world, his book carried on the Roman tradition…
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John Of Salisbury
…influenced John’s two books, the Policraticus and the Metalogicon (both 1159), in which his general intention was to show his contemporaries that in their thought and actions they were defecting from the true task of humanity. His work represented a protest against the professional specialization slowly developing in royal and…
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…influenced John’s two books, the Policraticus and the Metalogicon (both 1159), in which his general intention was to show his contemporaries that in their thought and actions they were defecting from the true task of humanity. His work represented a protest against the professional specialization slowly developing in royal and…
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mirror for princes
…famously in John of Salisbury’s Policraticus, which applied Classical concepts of the structure of society (specifically, the realm resembling a body) and discussed the right to resistance (the murder of tyrants) but which was still deeply rooted in familiar models of royal power. The same is true of such texts…
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…famously in John of Salisbury’s Policraticus, which applied Classical concepts of the structure of society (specifically, the realm resembling a body) and discussed the right to resistance (the murder of tyrants) but which was still deeply rooted in familiar models of royal power. The same is true of such texts…
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Stoicism
Stoic undercurrents in medieval thought
…critical scholar, produced, in his Policraticus (1159), the first complete attempt at a philosophy of the state since Classical times. Stoic doctrines of natural law, society, state, and providence were important elements in his effort to construct a social philosophy on ethical and metaphysical principles. The impact of these doctrines…
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…critical scholar, produced, in his Policraticus (1159), the first complete attempt at a philosophy of the state since Classical times. Stoic doctrines of natural law, society, state, and providence were important elements in his effort to construct a social philosophy on ethical and metaphysical principles. The impact of these doctrines…
Read More