The Swedish 19th century historian Erik Gustaf Geijer published widely on themes related to Swedisch, Scandinavian but also European and World history. In his major essay Feudalism and Republicanism (1818) Geijer applied a political philosophy perspepcetive to the development comparing an aristocratic and a democratic lens to the development. This presentation is given at the Swedish History Meeting at Sundsvall May 12, 2017

1. Feudalism and Republicanism in the
development of European civilization
-
Erik Gustaf Geijer’s political philosophy
Björn Hasselgren, PhD
Svenska Historikermötet 2017
Sundsvall, 12 maj 2017
The Erik Gustaf Geijer
Translation Project

2. German romantacist/Idealist and/or
”classical liberal”?
• Three periods in Geijer’s academic writing (Hessler 1937):
 ”Enlightenment liberal” 1798-1809
 ”Nationalistic conservative” 1809-1830s
 ”Classical liberal” 1830s -
• The ordinary view – romanticism and idealism strongly
influential (Hegel, Schelling mfl), society as an organism
• Less focused – connections to the Anglo-Saxon ”classical
liberal” – Hobbes, Locke, Burke, Smith
• The journey to England 1809-10, commercial background
and continuous reading of Quarterly Journal and Edinburgh
Journal
• ”Political economy” – industrialization and
”personality”/”individuality” – important themes

3. Geijer’s lecture
manuscripts 1815-17
Carolina Rediviva,
Uppsala University

4. Analytical and classificational concepts
• Feudalism is defined by Geijer as a system where
“All right and power in society comes from above
– it emanates from something higher, as a gift or
a grant” (F & R, 1818)
• Republicanism is a system where “all power and
justice emanates from below, through delegation
by the people” also directly connected to the
proposition that “society is an association formed
by an explicit compact between equals.” (F & R,
1818)

5. Development steps and classification
Development step Feudalistic Republican
Traditional family based
societies
(Germanic/Scandinavian)
X X
Feudal societies (General) X
Medieval (Italian) city
states
X
Constitutional (English)
monarchy
X X

6. Causes of change
Main causes for shifts between stages/steps:
a) Shifts in relative “power” of different systems without explicit single
reasons
b) Economic reasons
c) Religion and in specific the Christian Reformation
-> A dialectical development path to higher forms of social
organization
-> “Organism theory” but openness to Smithian “division of labor”

7. Religion and Reformation
• Reformation an unavoidable process and outcome of a Christendom which had
excelled in offending its many followers by “the most uninhibited hunger for
revenues and worldly power”
• The attack on this offending church was at risk “lighting a wildfire that raged
through Europe”
• The essence of reformation to put focus on the individual. “Directs human beings
towards self-improvement” (Weberian)
• Liberal freedom and property rights
• Increased the power both of the monarchy and of the people
• Monarchy relieved from Catholic/papal influence
• The people strengthened by focus on single individuals and personality
• Both the feudal and the republican principles are at work

8. ”The ideal state”
• Most things and phenomena have two sides – positive and negative
• Both feudalistic and republican
• The free (liberated) people
• The monarch operating under a constitution
• Property rights and commercial activity important aspects
• Religious ethics has an important role
• The state an organism not just ”a machine”
• Avoid revolutionary change
• British constitutional monarcy a good example

9. Björn Hasselgren, PhD
Uppsala University, Economic History
070-762 3316
bjorn.hasselgren@ekhist.uu.se
@hasselgrenB