Description
Book SynopsisIt is commonly assumed that the rise of modern democracies put an end to the spectacular and ceremonial aspects of political rule that were so characteristic of monarchies and other earlier regimes.
Trade Review"Of value to specialists in the history of political theory and democratic institutions."
Choice "Manow sheds fresh light on the pre-modern origins of our modern political institutions and practices and shows convincingly that all political power - including democracy - requires and produces its own political mythology."
Orange Standard
"This is a brilliant piece of historical and political analysis, tracing how imagery derived originally from the importance of the corporeal presence of monarchs continues to shape our ways of thinking about political institutions today. The design of parliamentary assemblies, the importance of the personal appearance of political figures and the value of continuity of persons occupying roles can all be seen afresh in the light of this central theme. It is probably the most original contribution to democratic theory for several years."
Colin Crouch, University of Warwick
Table of ContentsChapter One: Does the Republic Have a Body? Chapter Two: Parliament as Body Politic — House Seating Plans.
2.1 Does democracy have no images?
2.2 Basic parliamentary seating plans and how they came about.
2.3 The shadow of the king's body.
2.4 The parliamentarization of divine right doctrine.
Chapter Three: Parliament as Body Politic — Immunity, Publicity, Proportionality and Discontinuity.
3.1 Republican body-snatching.
3.2 'A degree of sanctity' — parliamentary immunity.
3.3 The parliamentary puppet can speak! — the question of public debate.
3.4 'A recognizable likeness of the populace' — parliamentary proportionality.
3.5 Le parlement ne meurt jamais? Parliamentary discontinuity.
3.6 Farewell to the body of the people?
Chapter Four: Democratic Bodies/Despotic Bodies.
4.1 Deputies and Doubles.
4.2 In corpore/in effigie (1).
4.3 In corpore/in effigie (2).
4.4 In corpore/in effigie (3).
4.5 Hot and cold representation.
4.6 Violent/thaumaturgic.
4.7 Dignitas/humanitas.
4.8 Disenchantment/Re-enchantment.
Notes.
Bibliography.
Sources of illustrations.
