Commercial republicanism in the Dutch Golden Age : the political thought of Johan & Pieter de la Court

The Dutch seventeenth century, a ‘Golden Age’ ridden by intense ideological conflict, pioneered global trade, participatory politics and religious toleration. Its history is epitomized by the life and works of the brothers Johan (1622-1660) and Pieter de la Court (1618-1685), two successful textile entrepreneurs and radical republican theorists during the apex of Dutch primacy in world trade. This book explores the many facets of the brothers’ political thought, focusing on their ground-breaking argument that commerce forms the mainstay of republican politics. With a contextual analysis that highlights the interaction between thinking and acting, between intellectual and cultural history, the book reveals the international significance of this commercial republicanism and it proposes a novel, rhetorical approach to seventeenth-century Dutch political culture.--List of Illustrations --Acknowledgments --A Note on References --Introduction I. The Making of an œuvre The Dutch Debate The Making of an œuvre Conclusion: Politics as a Ballgame II. The Rhetoric of the Market Persuading the Passions In the Public Arena: Rhetoric in Action Fables and Frankness Conclusion: The Rhetoric of the Market III. Wise Merchants Hobbes & the Foundation of the Commonwealth Citizenship in Theory and Practice The Ethics of Self-Interest Representing the Wise Merchant Conclusion: Commercial Citizenship in Perspective IV. The Commercial Commonwealth The Batavian Athens The Politics of Free Trade Monarchy Dethroned Towards a Merchant Democracy Conclusion: The Radical Republic V. Concord and Toleration The Erasmian Moment The Relation between Church and State Toleration: Pluralism for the Sake of Unity Epilogue: From Freedom of Religion to Freedom of Speech? --Conclusion: The Brothers De la Court and the Commercial Republican Tradition --Bibliography --IndexPublished version of EUI PhD thesis, 201