143. - Pérez, Antonio (1540–1611)

Summary

Antonio Pérez was an Aragonese who, having been Philip II of Spain’s secretary of state, in succession to his father, for some twelve years (1566–78), and then disgraced and imprisoned for another twelve years, finally escaped from Spain and became one of the foremost international publicists denouncing Philip II’s oppressive absolutism. His writings played a significant role in shaping Spinoza’s view of Iberian history and political history generally. His trenchant, bitter style – the favor of princes is “false, feeble, deadly, the shadow of death itself” – seems to have greatly appealed to Spinoza: “For as Antonio Pérez notes quite rightly,” remarks Spinoza in his TP, “to exercise absolute rule is very dangerous for a Prince, very hateful to his subjects, and contrary to the laws instituted by both God and man. Countless examples show this” (TP7.14). Spinoza here only slightly alters Pérez’s wording.