Absolutism and the Enlightenment Era

Posted on Jun 16, 2025 in Philosophy and ethics

Absolutism

A system of government established in Europe in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

Its best example is Louis XIV (the Sun King: everything revolved around him). His famous phrase is: “The state is me“.

It is also called the “Old Regime“.

Features of Absolutism

  • All power is held by the King.
  • The absolute power of kings is of divine origin; the King is accountable only to God for his actions.

Factors Contributing to Absolute Power

  • The nobles desired the riches of the bourgeoisie.
  • The bourgeoisie desired the power of the nobles.
  • Seeking protection, the nobility and bourgeoisie allowed the King to consolidate power.
  • The bourgeoisie supported the King as his economic policy was beneficial for them.
  • Religious wars caused death and destruction. People believed the King was the only one who could restore peace.

Economic System Under Absolutism

  • Called Colbertism or Mercantilism. This economic policy focused on protecting domestic industry, emphasizing the export of processed products, and accumulating precious metals.

Theorists Supporting Absolutism

  • Jacques Bossuet: Argued the King’s power comes from God. Wrote Politics Drawn from Holy Scripture, stating God is the source of all power and the King is God’s direct representative, thus the law.
  • Louis XIV: Wrote Memoirs, stating kings were chosen by God and are his representatives on Earth.
  • Thomas Hobbes: In his book Leviathan, he argued that men fight each other for the same purpose, necessitating a strong sovereign to maintain order.
  • John Locke: Argued that all men are born with inalienable rights. He believed the King should not have absolute power, as it violates human rights. (Note: Locke’s ideas are generally considered foundational to Enlightenment thought, contrasting with absolutism).

Enlightenment

A philosophical, political, and scientific movement of the eighteenth century, which emerged in England. Its peak was in France.

The great French Enlightenment philosophers include Voltaire, Montesquieu, Rousseau, Diderot, and D’Alembert.

It spread through intellectual salons (meetings where Enlightenment philosophers were heard), books, and brochures.

The most significant work of the Enlightenment was the Encyclopedia, consisting of 17 volumes of text and 11 volumes of illustrations. It was banned for its political content.

In politics, the state was seen as having three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. Power resides in the people, who choose representatives to rule. If power is misused, it returns to the people.

The main objective was the welfare of the people, primarily through education.

Characteristics of the Enlightenment

  • Reason is the path to human development.
  • Everything has an explanation; nothing is supernatural.
  • Institutions of the day were criticized.
  • There was a search for what was useful and pragmatic.
  • There was a closeness to nature.
  • There was pride in belonging to that era.
  • There was concern for the happiness of man.
  • Intellectuals from the nobility and bourgeoisie attended salons.
  • The church was criticized through exotic travel books and utopias.

Rationalist Trend

  • Major representatives included:
  • Montesquieu: Proposed the separation of powers. The legislature (parliament or assembly) makes laws. The executive (monarch) enforces laws. The judiciary (courts) administers justice. (Propagated ideas similar to John Locke).
  • Voltaire: Spread the ideas of Isaac Newton. Did not believe in the equality of persons but was a deist. Advocated for reforms such as the suppression of torture and the death penalty. Believed taxes should not be uniform and internal customs should be removed.

Naturalist Trend

  • Rousseau: Believed man must be close to nature. Law is the expression of the people, and freedom is respecting the law. Stated, “Man is good by nature, but civilization corrupts“.

Enlightened Despotism

  • Characterized by the motto: “Governing for the people but without the people”.
  • Rulers adopted some Enlightenment ideas, but their despotism was essentially disguised absolutism.

Economic Trends of the Era

  • Physiocrats: Represented by Quesnay. Believed the greatest wealth came from the land (hence, the conception of property). They were against economic constraints. Their motto was: “Laissez-faire, let nature take its way”.
  • Liberalism: Represented by Adam Smith, who wrote a book called…