Reason of State and reason of God in the political practice of the spanish Monarchy (1511-1664)

Abstract

Far from those historians who contemplate the 16-17th centuries Spanish political practice just as the expression of a religious motivation in their diplomatic or military actions, it is recalled here that there are many documents (well known and quite easily available) that show that this is only a half-truth. Catholic Spain had its own State Reason, as pragmatic and friendly to the Machiavellian simulation as any other. There are many clamorous examples of it, of which here I only mention a few, several others being already published as a result of several conferences. Sometimes there is so much pragmatism in the rulers’ actions that it comes as a surprise to their contemporaries, political scientists or rulers. Sometimes the defense of Religion was only a pretext for defensive or annexationist war enterprises. This did not exclude violent clashes with the Holy See when the occasion made it necessary, that is, when the Reason of State imposed its dictates.