Jada Franklin Dr. Wolfe HIST 208 (01) 1 July 2024 Absolute Monarchy vs. Representative Government Absolutism is defined as “...the political doctrine and practice of unlimited centralized authority and absolute sovereignty, as vested especially in a monarch or dictator” (Britannica) by Britannica. Absolutism led by a monarch is called absolute monarchy. Absolute monarchies within Europe were not unlimited, and rulers did not completely alienate their subjects’ wishes. However, absolute monarchies within Europe have generated revolts as seen within the French Revolution and the Glorious Revolution. In a representative government, a leader is elected by the people to represent them and is not picked through familial succession. Compared to a …show more content…
King James II’s Roman Catholic faith was at conflict with the Protestant faith of many Englishmen. The birth of James II’s Catholic heir also brought controversy. Eventually, the Glorious Revolution began, causing the Protestant rulers William III and Mary II to be chosen as monarchs. King Louis XIV was opposed by the French for many reasons including an increase in taxes, wealth inequality, and political inequality for the bourgeoisie. Following many anti-monarch demonstrations, the French Revolution began with the storming of the Bastille, leading to King Louis XIV and Queen Marie Antoinette’s imprisonment and later execution by the French people. Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte, a general in the French Revolution, was France’s first president and emperor. While absolute monarchies in Europe did not completely abandon the people’s wishes, a representative government where the people are more directly represented is better as leaders will be held more accountable by their subjects compared to an absolute monarch as history has …show more content…
As the throne is passed through a family, they may become afflicted with similar mental/physical illness into old age as well as launch their people into political turmoil as they may adopt a similar outlook of politics that may not be good for a nation. Succession of leaders through a familial line can also be dangerous for a nation as not every future monarch may be well-equipped to deal with the problems that a nation may need to remedy. Heirs of an absolute monarch may not be competent enough to lead their nation, too young/inexperienced compared to a seasoned leader, and may not have the desire and passion to lead a country. When a child is chosen to become the next monarch, they grow up and are tutored to lead like their predecessor. However, not every future monarch may want to become the next leader as it is something that is determined from when they were born compared to a government representative deciding for themselves if they want to lead and dedicate themselves to
different opinions on what form of government was the best. During Enlightenment many thinkers thought that the main priorities should be art and science. There were also many philosophers at the time who spread their ideas through their writing. Two of the more popular forms of government during that time were democracy and absolutism. Democracy is a form of government where citizens vote for representative who helps making decisions. Absolutism is a form of government where there is one person who is
A sea monster. That’s what a Leviathan is. But not in this context. A Leviathan is absolute monarchy. Absolute monarchy, or absolutism, is a better form of government than representative democracy because decisions are made quickly and efficiently, it is a stable government, and when under a representative democracy the passing of laws and making of decisions are time consuming or never happen. When under an absolute monarchy decisions are made quickly and efficiently. An example of this would
Different Forms of Government during the Enlightenment Period For about 1000 years, Europeans maintained traditions, the most significant were the traditions held by the Roman Catholic Church, which was the protector of knowledge. Thus, traditional knowledge was embedded in the church. In order to make a transition from the early modern world into the modern world, substantial changes were needed, especially intellectual changes. Thus, it was necessary to change the way that people think about themselves
absolute monarchies, budding representative governments, and revolution (the Revolution in 1688 in particular). The people of this time, of course, had opinions about the ways things should be done and what kind of government should, and could, really work for the people. Even the idea of the government being a system that ultimately should work for the benefit of the people was a point of conflict in some circles. Two examples of men with strong opinions about absolutism were Bishop Jaques-Bénigne
Absolutism and Democracy Absolute monarchy (Absolutism), it is a form of monarchy in which a single ruler has supreme authority and it is not restricted by any written laws or customs. An example of absolutism monarchy is French King Louis XIV, Russian Tsar Peter the Great, or English King Henry VIII. Democracy is a system of government by elected representatives or officials. Example of democracy is the United States. These type of government exist in the 17th and 18th century in Europe. So the
philosophes challenged absolutism, religion lost prestige, women and the middle class gained social equality, and as capitalism replaced mercantilism. During the enlightenment, people began to think politically instead of putting focus on religion and religious leaders. Because
Collapse of the Absolute Monarchy Between May and October 1789 After October 1789, the monarchy had not collapsed but the absolutism that had fuelled the family for years had. It was down to the combination of the political actions of the Third Estate representatives at Versailles and the direct action of the 'sans culottes' and disorder in the countryside. Events between these months had fed off each other; actions at Versailles had triggered events in Paris and the Parisians had helped
Absolutism, a single word that has passed through a large history, has made people bigger and with enormous power. This essay is going to explain what is absolutism and how has it been developed through history, including some personal comments about the belief of the acts done during this time. According to the Oxford Reference Online in the Digital Library, absolutism is "the government with unlimited power vested in one individual group. It is used primarily to describe the 18-th century European
Absolutism as Primary Form of Government 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. “Absolutists contended that social and political harmony would result when subjects obeyed their divinely sanctioned rulers in all aspects“ (Text 594). Absolutists rulers felt God gave them their ability to teach the masses the proper ways to live. Absolutist rulers had several
global issue. Rights have existed throughout the history of man. One development of the concepts of the citizen’s rights and democracies came after the debate of the monarchy’s absolute power over a single nation. This absolute power is known as absolutism. After the debate of the king’s power, revolutions occurred and gave rise to democracies like the United States. These democracies granted rights to the individual citizens and political power, after the rejection of divine rights of kings. There
power is actually or nominally lodged in a monarch, or a hereditary sole and absolute ruler of a state or nation, such as a king, queen, or emperor. Many monarch rulers believed in the Divine Right Theory of Kingship as it helped them to maintain absolutism, this is a political and religious doctrine of royal and political legitimacy. (Dictionary.com) It assures that a monarch is subject to no earthly authority. They receive the right to rule directly from the will of God and therefore is not subject
The Age of Absolutism was a time where a strong centralized government was created, and the ruler of a nation dominated over both upper and lower classes as well as the Church. But although the rulers were able to enjoy their unlimited power, they neglected the rest of their responsibilities as a monarch to pursue their own self-centered desires instead. By depending on the whims of a single person, it places the general good of everyone and everything at risk. Through the French, English, and Russian
Absolutism and the age of reason The film Cromwell presented a biased interpretation of its titled character. The film portrays Cromwell as a devout Puritan. Illustrated by a scene where Cromwell practiced iconoclasm in a church, he destroyed crosses and other religious ornaments. While this scene effectively demonstrated Cromwell’s religiosity, the film failed to foreshadow Cromwell’s religious extremism and horrendous treatment of Catholics during his reign as the Lord Protector. In Ireland, Cromwell
Hobbes argues for this form of government as a solution to the crises of all men being equal and them having the right to get justice when laws or rules are broken. He says that there should be a social contract putting trust into one person to take care of all the good and bad that people
Representative democracy has been a topic of controversy among the general population for years. Questions of the morality of most governmental leaders arise due to displays of totalitarianism, however, this shadows in comparison to the oppressive umbrella that a monarchical society can cast. For one, in a monarchical government, the decision of a single person can affect the lives of many. It is also important for one to note that in a monarchical government the position of highest power (i.e. a