La pensee de francois guichardin
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Abstract EN:
In the realms of florentine domestic policy, the ideology that guichardin worked out as far back as 1512 aimed at averting the danger of democracy and tyranny, and allowing aristocracy to control the power in florence. But that didn't rule out, with the medicis, a commitment which was the expression of a fundamental opportunism that will be the only possible way after 1530. With regard to war and peace, the mission to spain in 1512 gives rise to a lot of thoughts and to the relazione di spagna. The florentine diplomat was succeeded by the man of action, in the service of the holy see (1516-27) under leo x, adrian v and clement vii. A great many thoughts and several treatises formed the fruit of this rich experience and these struggles against charles the fifth, in which the european and italian balance of power was at stake, wich was guichardin's ideal. As to history, the critical thought process of the writer of cose fiorentine is of great interest for research and establishing facts. But the statement of domestic policy is sullied by excessive moderation and brevity and by frequently allusive character. As to the storia d'italia it doesn't account for the italian tragedy in a scientific way, but it makes the peninsula out to be a victim of technical progress and military organization which its neighbours benefitted from, and particularly a victim of the havoc caused by the excesses of the princes the only culprits for the drama, according to the writer. Finally, more generally, although guichardin gives some weight to economic problems and their bearing on politics, his interest tends to man first, to his nature and to his condition. Mediocre by nature, subject to a natural determinism which neither upbringing nor law triumph over, on the other hand he defies any transcendent force to be solely responsible for his own destiny, which doesn't mean that he is the master of it. Lost in an unfriendly reality, the daring sage is usually helpless, whatever his experience, nis prudence and his judgment might be.
Abstract FR:
Dans le domaine de la politique interieure florentine, l'ideologie elaboree des 1512 par guichardin vise a ecarter le danger de la democratie et de la tyrannie, et a permettre a l'aristocratie de controler le pouvoir a florence. Mais cela n'exclut pas, derriere les medicis, un engagement qui est l'expression d'un opportunisme foncier et qui devient d'ailleurs la seule voie possible apres 1530. En ce qui concerne la guerre et la paix, l'ambassade de 1512 en espagne nourrit de nombreuses reflexions et la relazione di spagna. Au diplomate florentin succede l'homme d'action au service du saint-siege (1516-27), sous leon x, adrien v et clement vii. Maintes reflexions et plusieurs discours sont le fruit de cette riche experience et des luttes contre charles quint dont l'enjeu est l'equilibre europeen et italien, l'ideal de guichardin. Pour ce qui est de l'histoire, la demarche critique de l'auteur des cose fiorentinepresente un grand interet quant a la recherche et a l'etablissement des faits. Mais l'expose des evenements de politique interieure est entache par une sobriete et une concision excessives et par un caractere souvent allusif. Quant a la storia d'italia, elle ne fournit pas une explication scientifiquement valable de la tragedie italienne, mais elle fait de la peninsule la victime du progres technique et de l'organisation militaire dont beneficient ses voisins, et, surtout, des ravages de l'instinct et de la demesure des princes, seuls responsables du drame, selon l'auteur. Enfin, sur un plan plus general, si guichardin ne neglige pas les problemes economiques et leur incidence sur la politique, son interet va avant tout a l'homme, a sa nature et a sa condition. Essentiellement mediocre, soumis a un determinisme naturel dont ni l'education ni la loi ne peuvent triompher, celui-ci echappe en revanche a toute force transcendante, pour etre seul responsable de son destin, ce qui ne veut pas dire qu'il en soit le maitre. Plonge dans une realite hostile, le sage audacieux est en effet le plus souvent impuissant, quels que soient son experience, sa prudence et son discernement.