ABSOLUTISM
constitutions. Absolute Kings of France fell
- It is a Political theory and form of
government where unlimited, complete
power is held by a centralized sovereign
individual.
- No checks and balances from any other part
of the nation or government
- The ruling individual has absolute power
with no legal, electoral, or other challenges
to that power.
THE ABSOLUTE AGE/ABSOLUTE MONARCHIES.
- Absolutism is generally spoken about with
regards to the “absolutist monarchs”.
- Absolutism was a way the central
government could cut out across the
different laws and structures of territories
which had been acquired piecemeal
through war and inheritance.
- New style of state was developed and was
aided by new tax laws and centralized
bureaucracy allowing standing armies
reliant on the King, not nobles.
- Conflation of absolutism with despotism =
Tried to differentiate by absolutist era
theorist (John Miller)
“Absolute monarchies helped to bring a
sense of nationhood to disparate
territories, to established a measure of
public order and to promote prosperity”
ENLIGHTENED ABSOLUTISM
- During the Enlightenment, several absolute
monarchs attempted to introduce
Enlightenment-inspired reforms while still
strictly controlling their nations.
- Serfdom was abolished or reduced; more
equality among subjects was introduced.
- The idea was to justify the absolutist
government by creating a better life for the
subjects. “Enlightened Absolutism”
THE END OF ABSOLUTE MONARCHY (late 18th and
19th centuries)
- Popular agitation for more democracy and
accountability grew.
- Many former absolutists had to issue
the hardest, one being removed from
power and executed during the FRENCH
REVOLUTION
UNDERPINNING
- The Divine Right of Kings. (Bishop Bossuet)
(Answerable only to God). “Monarchs held
their authority directly from God, that the
King in his Kingdom was as God in his
creation.”
- NATURAL LAW. (Hobbes) Immutable,
naturally occurring laws which affected
states.
Absolute power was seen as an answer to
problems caused by natural law
Answer: Members of a country gave up certain
freedoms in order to safeguard order and give
security.
The alternative was a violent mankind driven by
basic forces like greed.
THOMAS HOBBES
-Best known for his book Leviathan , which
expounded an influential formulation of social
contract theory.
-People lived in a state of nature (Nasty, Brutish
and Chaotic) (if there’s no gov’t) so they need a
strong central ruler who can control them and
society.
-Each person would have a right, or license, to
everything in the world thus would lead to a “war
of all against all”
-people fear death and lack the things
necessary to commodious living so they accede to
a social contract and establish a civil society (cede
some rights for protection)
 BISHOP BOSSUET KING LOUIS XIV of FRANCE

-Court preacher to Louis XIV of France - The Sun King

-Strong advocate of Political absolutism and the
Divine Right of Kings.
-“Government was divine and that kings
received their power from God”
-Monarch is subject to no earthly authority.
-King is not subject to the will of his people,
nobles or any other estate of the realm.
-Only God can judge an unjust king and that any
attempt to dispose, dethrone or restrict his
powers runs contrary to the will of God.
MAJOR CHARACTERISTICS OF ABSOLUTE RULER
- One person rule
- The ruler continues ruling until death
- Rulers are not subject to national assemblies or
will of the people.
- They have to bring their nobility completely
under control so that the nobility doesn’t have
any say in politics and is really subservient to
the ruler
- Famous quote. L’etat c’est moi = I AM THE
STATE. . He didn’t appoint a minister. It is
himself. So he’s the final decision.
- Most popular saying associated with Louis XIV =
UN ROI, UNE LOI, UNE FOI = ONE KING, ONE
LAW, ONE FAITH.
 One King = Made sure that nobles knew
who was the boss so he made nobles attend
to him in Versailles. Sword nobles to Robe
nobles.
 One Law = The code Louis. Attempted to
standardize the laws in France.
 One Faith = Revoked edict of Nantes.
Catholicism as the only faith in France.

 Take away the nobles power to

administrate and give that to
bureaucrats hired by the King, loyal to
the king to carry out things that noble
used to do.
 Some monarchs even gave titles of
nobility to bureaucrats which carry out
the loyalty and really did whatever the
king wanted them to do.


“It’s easy to be the absolute. What’s hard is

staying in control”

SOME OF THE THINGS THEY DO TO STAY IN POWER

ARE.

1. They control the nobility.

2. Take over the religion.
3. Employ secret police
4. Have large standing armies