Polizey and patriotism: Joseph von Sonnenfels and the legitimacy of enlightened monarchy in the gaze of eighteenth-century state sciences

This chapter supports the claim through an analysis of Samuel Pufendorf's theory of the state. He is an apt figure for the argument given his reputation, like Hobbes, whose disciple he has been called, as an early modern absolutist and sovereignty theorist emphasizing strong and unified political authority. Pufendorf is equally relevant, however, albeit less familiar, because of his flexibility regarding alternative constitutional forms wherein sovereignty can be exercised, and his sensitivity toward contextual factors determining the appropriateness of concrete political solutions. His thinking about the state encompasses both pre- and post-civil arrangements, covering a wide array of authority relationships. Though the notion of monstrosity was negatively received by his critics and Pufendorf himself used the term mainly as a descriptor, the burden of the chapter to show that it also functions prescriptively in the larger context of his thought. Monstrosity offers no blueprint or recipe for resolving political conflicts; it encourages their management through practical, concessive and opportune interventions.