POLICE AND STATE FUNCTIONS UNDER THE ANCIENT RÉGIME

• Autor(a) principal: Seelaender, Airton Cerqueira Leite
• Data de Publicação: 2009
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Revista da Faculdade de Direito UFPR (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://revistas.ufpr.br/direito/article/view/17033
• topic: Polícia; Governo da Casa e Reino; Absolutismo; Polizeiwissenschaft; Administração Pública; Liberalismo; Police; House and Kingdom; Absolutism; Public Administration; Liberalism

The changes in meaning undergone by the word “police” since the beginning of theModern Era clearly reflect the changeable nature of legal language. At that time the concept wasassociated mainly with the protection of Christian morality and social order against “disorder” andinnovations brought in by social transformations. The concept was though greatly broadened in thetimes of absolutist reformism, mirroring and supporting the Crown subsequent new functions. In theeighteenth century the term already included in its meaning the whole internal management of theState, as well as all its measures – including specific “police laws” – aiming at an increase in wealthand in the number of subjects, which were supposedly the very basis of State power. In this context,“police law” became a tool to transform reality by means of directing and disciplining subjects, showingthe increasing instrumental character of law itself. The idea of “police” was so closely connected toAbsolutism that it became an embarrassing topic for the liberal legal thought in the 19th century.