The following translation is made with the publisher's permission from the Latin text established by Richard Scholz in his Wilhelm yon Ockham als politischer Denker und sein Breviloquium de principatu tyrannico (Stuttgart:Anton Hiersemann, 1944, I952). Departures from this text are noted in the Appendix. The aim has been to produce a version faithful in meaning and style, as far as possible in plain modern English. For an explanation of the principles employed in pursuing this aim and for notes on some difficult expressions and passages, see the Appendix.

在政治理论领域，“剑桥政治思想史原著系列”作为主要的学生教科丛书，如今已牢固确立了其地位。本丛书旨在使学生能够获得从古希腊到20世纪初期西方政治思想史方面所有最为重要的原著。它囊括了所有著名的经典原著，但与此同时，它又扩展了传统的评价尺度，以便能够纳入范围广泛、不那么出名的作品。而在此之前，这些作品中有许多从未有过现代英文版本可资利用。只要可能，所选原著都会以完整而不删节的形式出版，其中的译作则是专门为本丛书的目的而安排。每一本书都有一个评论性的导言，加上历史年表、生平梗概、进一步阅读指南，以及必要的词汇表和原文注解。

本丛书的最终目的是，为西方政治思想的整个发展脉络提供一个清晰的轮廓。

Preface

A note on references

Abbreviations

Introduction

Principal dates in Ockham's life

Suggestions for further reading

      A Short Discourse on the Tyrannical Government

      Over Things Divine and Human, but Especially

      Over the Empire and Those Subject to the Empire,

      Usurped by Some Who Are Called Highest Pontiffs

Prologue

Book I

Book II

Book III

Book IV

Book V

Book VI

Appendix: text and translation

Chapters

Bibliography

General index

Index of persons

Index of references to the Bible

Index of references to canon law

Index of references to civil law