absolutism Essay - 823 Words

Absolutism as Primary Form of Government nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Absolutism became the primary form of government for many Europeans in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It appealed to so many for reasons the same as other governments. â€Å"Absolutists contended that social and political harmony would result when subjects obeyed their divinely sanctioned rulers in all aspectsâ€Å" (Text 594). Absolutists rulers felt God gave them their ability to teach the masses the proper ways to live. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Absolutist rulers had several main goals for successive reign over the people. The first being to eliminate or weaken the national representative assemblies. Next rulers looked to gain†¦show more content†¦Louis was very specific in what he expected from his nobility and carefully set up his government so there was less room for error and even less for dissent. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;According to Jacques-Benigne Bousset, a preacher and tutor to Louis the fourteenth’s son, there were four characteristics to royal authority. The first of being, royal authority is sacred. Second, royal authority is paternal. Third, it is absolute. Fourth, All power comes from God. (Text 596) To summarize Bousset he believes that, like God, a king is a father figure. To be idolized, respected and loved. So if God is the father of earth then his sons are the fathers of people, or kings. This makes a king both divine and undisputable, as a descendant of God. â€Å"Royal authority is absolute†¦The prince need account to no one for what he ordains†¦without this absolute authority, he can do no good nor suppress evil†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Text 596). nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Sir Robert Filmer supported Bousset in the same sense. He believed that from the very first government, which he stated was Gods rule over the earth, that the people had no power or prosperity over anything. God was King, never did the people have power over God (Text 597). The two of them also portrayed God and a King as a Father figure to be followed without question. Filmer states in the text, †I cannot find one place or text in the bible where any power†¦is given to a people either to govern themselves, or to choseShow MoreRelatedMoral Absolutism1499 Words   |  6 PagesMoral Absolutism a) Explain what is meant by Moral Absolutism. 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This interest in becoming absolute rulers infected the European monarchs, becoming particularly acute during the religious wars of the 16th century. As a result of the chaos and destruction, the kings of Europe began to consolidate power into a centralized system with the monarch at the top. By the beginning of the 17th centuryRead MoreSimilarities Of Democracy And Absolutism838 Words   |  4 Pagesand absolutism, were common during this time period; all around Europe. Democracy is a system of government that the people or citizens take part of government affairs by voting. The other system of government that was more efficient at its time was absolutism. Absolutism is a system of government that only one ruler controls the government and rule over peoples lives. Conversy had struck and many questions were asked; which system of government was more efficient - Democracy or Absolutism? TheRead MoreNegative Effects Of Absolutism1159 Words   |  5 Pageswere trying to consolidate power by using absolutism. They wanted to regain the power they lost during the Middle Ages by taking it from nobility. Rulers used the divine right to rule to justify their actions to restore power. The divine right to rule is the belief that God gave them the right to rule which justifies their claims to power. Kings used multiple means to reclaim their authority, and used it to glorify themselves and their country. Absolutism had both positive and negative effects whichRead MoreAbsolutism Essay 9803 Words   |  4 Pagesargues that certain kings ruled because they were chosen (by God) to do so and that these kings were accountable to no person except God respecting only the fundamental laws. Because the monarch ruled with absolute or unshared power, the term ‘absolutism came about. These kings are said to rule absolutely by the will of God. To oppose the king was equivalent to a rebellion against God. The king therefore was not to be questioned or disobeyed. According to Bossuet, Gods purpose in instituting