1 - La chose publique de nostre royaume

Summary

The late medieval French monarchy developed its political vocabulary in the aftermath of the existential crisis of 1356-1360. Charles V patronized intellectuals, above all Nicole Oresme, who created a language for a monarchical commonwealth. French politics took place within the framework of this language for about two centuries, when another existential crisis, tied to the Wars of Religion, generated a new vocabulary, built around a royal State. Chapter 1 focuses on the origin of this vocabulary, tied to the representative assemblies of 1356-1358. The key figures in this process, aside from Charles, then regent for his prisoner father, were Jean Buridan and Nicole Oresme. The “bien de la chose publique” vocabulary came into being around debates on currency at the meetings of the Estates General of Languedoïl in Paris in the late 1350s. Minting brought together the two key elements of the public good – the economy and politics. The connection between currency and the public good would remain strong at later assemblies, in 1484 and 1576.