Résumé
Résumé de La République d’Océana
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À qui s’adresse-t-il ?
This book suits readers who love political theory, the history of republics, and the design of institutions. If you enjoy Machiavelli, Plato, Venice, or the roots of American constitutions, Harrington offers a rich plan to explore.
De quoi parle ce livre ?
Two girls share a cake. One cuts and the other chooses. If the cutter is unfair, she loses, because the other girl takes the bigger half. So she cuts evenly, and both get what is right.
James Harrington believes this small rule holds the secret of a republic. His Commonwealth of Oceana appeared in 1656, after the English civil wars brought down the king. He wrote it as a tale in which Oceana stands for England, and a general sets aside his sword to give the nation a constitution. You get a theory of why governments fall, a working model of a republic, and an argument with Machiavelli and Hobbes. Begin where Harrington begins: whoever owns the land holds the real power.
Dans ce résumé
- 1Power follows the balance of landed propertyFree
- 2A commonwealth is a rule of laws, not men
- 3Divide and choose: the senate debates, the people decide
- 4Ancient commonwealths teach, and Israel is the model
- 5An agrarian law keeps the balance fixed
- 6The ballot and rotation make equality work
- 7Parishes, hundreds and tribes join arms and councils
- 8Parliament, councils and a limited dictator run the state
- 9Answering Machiavelli: equality can end the quarrel
- 10Guardians of the world, and a lawgiver who steps aside
Point clé 1 sur 10
Power follows the balance of landed property
Harrington opens with a claim that shapes everything after it. Government rests on dominion, and dominion means property, above all land. Whoever holds the most land holds the real power in a nation.
He sorts governments by this test. If one man owns about three quarters of the land, as the Turkish sultan does, the state is an absolute monarchy. If a small nobility owns most of it, the state is a mixed monarchy. If the land is spread among the whole people, the state is a commonwealth.
Force cannot change this for long. In England the kings sold land, the great houses sank, and the yeomen and merchants grew rich. The old throne fell because it had lost its foundation, and the war came after that. Hobbes says laws are only paper without the sword. Harrington replies that the sword needs a hand, and an army must be fed.
Ask who owns the land, because that person, or that people, holds the power.
That’s 1 of 10 key points.
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About this edition
Every format is free to start, and print and large print are at cost.
- LengthAbout 101,400 words
- Reading timeAbout 7 h 5 min
Questions about La République d’Océana
What is The Commonwealth of Oceana about?
It describes an imagined republic called Oceana, standing for England. A general named the Lord Archon writes a complete constitution, based on land laws, secret ballots, a senate, a people's assembly, and a citizen army.
Who is Leviathan in Harrington's book?
Leviathan is Harrington's name for Thomas Hobbes, whose book of that title defended sovereign power. Harrington argues against him often, saying that laws and balanced property, not a single sword, hold a state together.
What is the agrarian law in Oceana?
It is a rule that limits how much land one person may own, set at two thousand pounds a year in Oceana. Estates are divided among sons so no family grows strong enough to dominate the whole people.
What does the girls and the cake example mean?
Two girls share a cake by letting one divide and the other choose. Harrington uses it to show why a senate should debate and propose, while a separate people's assembly decides.
Is Oceana a true story and when was it written?
No, Oceana is an invented country, though it stands for England and draws on real history. Harrington published the book in 1656, soon after the civil wars, as a practical plan for a republic.
Cite this edition
Harrington, James. The Commonwealth of Oceana. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-commonwealth-of-oceana.
Harrington, J. (2026). The commonwealth of Oceana. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-commonwealth-of-oceana (Original work published 1656)
Harrington, James. The Commonwealth of Oceana. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-commonwealth-of-oceana.
@book{harrington2026commonwealth,
author = {Harrington, James},
title = {The Commonwealth of Oceana},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-commonwealth-of-oceana},
note = {First published 1656}
}
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