Absolutism was a period of the old continent marked by the centralization of political power in the hands of monarchs between the 16th and 17th centuries. The union between kings and bourgeoisie to overcome the feudalist system contributed directly to the consolidation of absolutist practices. Thus, the formation of Modern National States constituted the political and economic structure of the absolutist countries towards a government centralized in real power.
During this period, absolutist theorists emerged who developed theses that defended a disciplined society controlled by a single leader, who would be the sovereign. The intention of these thinkers was to legitimize absolutism in Europe, showing through their ideas the importance of the existence of a strong state to command the subjects. Thus, among the main theorists of absolutism, the following stand out: Machiavelli, who wrote the classic book entitled “The prince”, Thomas Hobbes, author of the work “Leviathan", and Jacques Bossuet, who wrote "Politics taken from Sacred Scripture".
the Italian theorist Machiavelli (1469 – 1527) was known mainly for his symbolic phrases to portray the ideal government. He argued that the State, to achieve its goals, should spare no efforts, as "The ends justify the means". One of the alternatives to build a strong government would be the separation between morals and politics, since the reasons of the State should be superior to any cultural and social values of the nation. Machiavelli elaborated the thesis that the Prince (Political leader) should learn to be bad in order to maintain the power and, in addition, defended a government in which individuals were seen as subjects, who should only fulfill orders.
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Thomas Hobbes (1588 – 1679) was one of the most radical theorists of absolutism. He defended the thesis that "the man was the wolf of the man", asserting that human beings were born bad and selfish by nature. This pessimism towards humanity led the English theorist to propose a political pact in which people could achieve peace and happiness. This pact said that for humanity to live in harmony, it must abdicate its rights and transfer them to a sovereign whose role was to contain the impetus of man in his state of nature. In this way, Hobbes legitimized the existence of real power by claiming that it was through it that people would not live in a scenario of chaos and war.
Jacques Bossuet (1627 – 1704) was the theorist responsible for involving politics and religion in his thesis. He assumed that the real power was also the divine power, since the monarchs were representatives of God in the land. Therefore, kings had to have complete control of society. Thus, they could not be questioned about their political practices. Thus, the monarch owned the divine right to rule and the subject who turned against him would be questioning the eternal truths of God.
Absolutist theorists advocated a monarchist form of government in which power was concentrated in the hands of kings. Their theories were questioned from the elaboration of liberal theses during the Enlightenment who claimed democratic governments and popular sovereignty in politics.
By Fabricio Santos
Graduated in History
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SANTOS, Fabrício Barroso dos. "Theorists of European absolutism"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/historiag/teoricos-absolutismo-europeu.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.
General history
Absolutism, Absolutist States, National Monarchies, Absolutist Monarchies, Modern Age, Renaissance, bourgeoisie mercantile, feudal barriers, national symbols, unification of territories, Hundred Years War, War of Reconquest, theory absolute
