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Absolutism is a type of political monarchy with great power where the Monarch is revered by his (her) subjects with awe. Therefore, absolutism can be defined as a political doctrine that practices with absolute, unlimited and centralized authority. This authority is usually vested in a dictator or a monarch. In this type of leadership, the ruling elite is not subjected to any type of control by any institution (religious, judicial, economic or electoral powers). The first and most familiar form of absolutism was by King Louis XIV of France (1643 – 1715) when he said that he “was the state.” Absolutism, however, existed in various forms all over the world. The latest and most famous were Adolf Hitler in Germany and Joseph Stalin in Russia (French Absolutism).
Jean Bodin
He was a French political scientist who published the book Six Books on the Commonwealth. Jean Bodin is considered to be the founder of the 16th century French absolutism. He was born in Angers and studied law while teaching at the same university. He later went to Paris and became an attorney and a servitor of King Henry III. Bodin’s theory of absolutism became vital in the face of the Huguenot rebellion. In his work, he asserted that the ruling elite (the monarch) had unchallengeable power. This was the definition of sovereignty. He reasoned that since the sovereign was the creator of the law, he was above that law (The rise of absolutism).
Bishop Bossuet
The absolutism torch was carried on by Bossuet when he published a book defending his absolutism theory called Politics Drawn From Holy Scripture. Bossuet was a bishop in France and was renowned for his addresses and sermons. He was one of the most brilliant orators during his time. He was born in September 27, 1627 and died in April 12, 1704. The bishop was a strong supporter of political absolutism and argued that the government was heavenly and that kings received their powers directly from God. He wrote several books some of which touched on royal absolutism asserting that kings should be obeyed at all times as a matter of conscience and religion (The rise of absolutism).
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