A liberdade religiosa e política: um estudo a partir do III Dialogus de Guilherme de Ockham.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to elucidate the notion of freedom (libertas, libertatis) developed by William of Ockham (1284?-1347?) in his Opera Politica; having as research locus, specifically, the Book I of the Tract I, entitled On the power of pope and clergy, of the Third Part of the Dialogue. This freedom is, indeed, the Christian (or evangelical) freedom; which is understood, in this context, as a philosophicaltheological principle: lex christiana est lex libertatis (the Christian law is a law of freedom). Through this argumentation, the Venerabilis Inceptor undertakes his incisive critique to plenitudo potestatis papalis doctrine (papal fullness of power); by which the Roman pontiffs sought to legitimize their pretended spiritual and temporal fullness of power. In fact, if the Christians are free, by force of Christian-evangelical law, then the pope cannot possess such fullness of power; for if he possessed it, the faithful would be deprived of their religious and political freedom; and the pontiff, consequently, would become a heretic. Therefore, this Christian-evangelical freedom must be characterized as religious and political freedom.