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The Age of Enlightenment and the Age of Absolutism were two different periods of time. The age of Enlightenment had new ideas spreading through out the world about government and human rights. The Age of Absolutism was a time of absolute monarchs who had total control of everything. They made laws as they went along and if they didnt like what the people said the monarchs would throw the people into jail and or put them to death. The Age of Enlightenment is a response or answer to the Age of Absolutism by the new ideas that spread through out the world.
During the Age of Absolutism there were many different views on how to run a monarchy. There were so many different monarchs at the time; they all had different ways of running their perspective courts. In Machiavelli's book, The Prince, he states that a prince must rule independently and not trust anyone but himself or herself. This statement is proven to be true with the example of King Louis XIV.
He only trusted himself and nobody else, and by bringing the nobles to live with him at Versailles, it proved that he only trusted himself because he wanted to keep an eye on them. A response to this particular Absolutism idea came from John Locke an English philosopher. In his book Two Treaties on Government, he states that there should not be one ruler but have a democratic form of government. No one can be subjected to the political power of another without his own consent This quote proves that the ideas of the Enlightenment differed and were an answer to the Age of Absolutism.
Although there were many monarchs during the Age of Absolutism, not all of them believed in the same things. King James I of England believed in the Divine Right. This was the believe of some monarchs that they were chosen by God to rule and that they were Gods, right hand man / woman , and that they were the sole ruler and didnt have to listen to anybody. In a statement made by King James, he is quoted as saying, Kings are justly called Gods, for that they exercise a divine power.
This statement justly proves that monarchs did believe that God called them upon to rule the lands at which they were given. A very famous Enlightened philosophe by the name of Montesquieu believed in a government that has separation of powers. In his book The Spirit of the Laws, it is stated that a government should have a separation of powers and have trust. There can be no liberty where he executive, legislative and judicial powers are united in on person or body of persons This quote has just proven exactly what Montesquieu believes in, and has been spreading ideas about. One of the most famous monarchs off all time would have to be King Louis XIV of France.
He is said to be one of the most powerful Kings that France has ever had. King Louis XIV had very strong opinions on Absolutism. In an idea that he was expressing he is quoted as saying, The head alone has the right to deliberate and decide, and the functions off all the other members consist only on carrying out the commands given to them This statement made by King Louis XIV is quite drastic. He believes that the king has total control and has full power and everybody is supposed to carry out commands just for him. Voltaire another famous philosophe from France differed in his opinion from his King. Voltaire believed in a democratic government just like John Locke.
A quote from Voltaires writing proves this. The best government seems to be that in which all the ranks of men are equally protected by the laws. This statement proves that Voltaire believed in a democratic government and that there should not be a single ruler. Although the Age of Absolutism and the Enlightenment were two totally different times, both time periods affected life today. Without these two time periods happening today America might still be under British control. There might still be monarchs with total control of lands and people.
Who knows, the whole world might be totally different then the way it is now.
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Research essay sample on The Age Of Enlightenment And Absolutism
