International Identities in the 13th Century Latin Christendom. A Concept of Lordly Identity

Abstract

This article builds on an observation that medieval politics in the thirteenth century tends to be approached by standard political history as if centralized statehood (and its international implications) was an ahistorical phenomenon existing in all ages. Taking this perspective, to suggest that the political motivations and actions of dukes and kings are rational and motivated by raison d’état has been a popular practice over many decades. However, the otherness of medieval political culture seems to be overlooked. This article proposes an amendment to the conventional approach by taking a culture‑specific turn and introducing the concept of lordly identity. It comes with an assumption that standard international agents in thirteenth century Latin Christendom were lords (not states).
The notion of lordly identity makes clear references to conceptual frameworks developed in international relations theories. It is based on a constructivist approach proposing that international actors develop ways of mitigating conflict and promoting cooperation by establishing a form of international (intergroup) society, which is governed by worked‑out norms and regulations in the process of mutual interactions. In such a self‑defined‑by‑practice society its constitutive members assume certain roles and identities, which affect their behaviors and shape political interests. By developing a concept of lordly identity, the article attempts to inspire and strengthen medieval historian’s explanatory powers. It draws attention to IR assumptions and arguments about international politics that often remain little known and obscure to political historians of the Middle Ages.