Absolute Monarchs

Nice work if you can get it

From about the year 1500 there was a general trend to make the governments of Europe more powerful and local
authority less powerful. In most cases this trend was reflected in the growing powers of kings. The resulting type of
government in which kings had all of the power within their states boundaries are known as absolute monarchies
(absolute power means complete power over a state). In general it was believed that stronger more centralized
national governments would bring order and put an end to the crises of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
Specifically it was hoped that strong centralized states could put an end to the violent and terrifyingly cruel wars of
religion. This movement culminated in the years between the ascension to power of Louis XIV in 1643 and the
French Revolution in 1789. We will briefly explore this period and the political response which followed it.

The Arguments for Strong Centralized States or Absolute Monarchies

A. The most influential secular justification for absolutism came from the English philosopher Thomas
Hobbes whose famous book, Leviathan, was published in 1651. Hobbes viewed order as the most
important goal of society and anarchy as the greatest social disaster. According to Hobbes, people
created governments as protection against themselves because human life was naturally poor, nasty,
brutish and short. Forced by human nature to surrender their freedoms to the state, people have no
rights under the government except obedience. The resulting government could take any form, but
monarchy was the most effective in maintaining order and security. Any ruler, no matter how bad, was
preferable to anarchy. Monarchs should be entitled to absolute authority to create order and protect the
people.
B. Another important justification for absolute monarchies was made by Jacques Bousset who said:
The person of the king is sacred, and to attack him in any way is an attack on religion itself the
royal throne is not the throne of a man, but the throne of God himself Kings should be regarded
as holy things and whosoever neglects to protect them is worthy of death the royal power is
absolute the king need render accounts of his acts to no one Where the word of a king is,
there is power Without this absolute authority the king could neither do good or repress evil
God has the kings anointed in the same way he has bishops and altars anointed. But this is merely
an external sign that kings are representatives of the divine majesty who have been appointed to
carry out His purposes
1.
2.

What book did Thomas Hobbes write?

What did Hobbes say the most important goal of a state was? What Renaissance philosopher would have
agreed with this?
3. According to Hobbes why are governments established?
4. Read the first two paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence? In what way is the though of Hobbes
reflected in this document? (The relevant passage from the Declaration of Independence is found on page 564)
5. According to Bousset from what source do kings get their power?
6. Why does the king need absolute power?
7. This right of kings stated by Bousset is known as the divine right of kings. What earlier society shared this
idea?
8. According to Bousset do the people have the right to overthrow the king? Explain.
9. *** In the United States we do not believe that governments are appointed by kings. Who, if not god, gives
authority to the United States government?
10. You do not need to write out these definitions but be sure to understand the meanings of: absolute power, divine
right of kings, monarchy, absolute monarch