DBQ Absolutism And Democracy
Frank Owens
Mrs. Wilson
World History
12/5/2014
DBQ
What form of government was most effective-democracy or absolutism- for the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Europe?
During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries there were two forms of government. The two forms of government were democracy and absolutism. Both of these forms of government were effective in their own ways. Absolutism though was the most effective during this time. Absolutism is when the ruler has unlimited power. Many rulers had a democracy government but absolutism was more effective because the rulers had all the power and it was hard to take advantage of them rather than a democracy where many rulers can get over thrown by the people of that country.
Machiavelli, who wrote The Prince, felt that the best way to rule was to be feared. He wrote in his book The Prince, “Men have less hesitation in offending a man who is loved than one who is feared, for love is held by a bond of obligation which, as men are wicked, is broken whenever personal advantage suggests it.” What he means by this is that if you rule by fear people are less likely to defy you than if you rule with love. This would be extremely helpful when running a country.
King James I also believed that absolutism was the way to rule. He thought that kings were like Gods therefore he believed in Divine Right. Divine Right is the belief that kings get their authority from God. "The state of monarchy is the supremest thing upon earth; for kings are not only God's lieutenants upon earth, and sit upon God's throne, but even by God himself they are called gods". What he means by this is that Kings have every right and power needed to rule. With Kings having every right to rule there would be no questions as to whether or not a King is fit to rule
King Louis XIV believed in absolutism. He once stated “The head alone has the right to deliberate and decide, and the functions of all the other members consist only in carrying out the
Mrs. Wilson
World History
12/5/2014
DBQ
What form of government was most effective-democracy or absolutism- for the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Europe?
During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries there were two forms of government. The two forms of government were democracy and absolutism. Both of these forms of government were effective in their own ways. Absolutism though was the most effective during this time. Absolutism is when the ruler has unlimited power. Many rulers had a democracy government but absolutism was more effective because the rulers had all the power and it was hard to take advantage of them rather than a democracy where many rulers can get over thrown by the people of that country.
Machiavelli, who wrote The Prince, felt that the best way to rule was to be feared. He wrote in his book The Prince, “Men have less hesitation in offending a man who is loved than one who is feared, for love is held by a bond of obligation which, as men are wicked, is broken whenever personal advantage suggests it.” What he means by this is that if you rule by fear people are less likely to defy you than if you rule with love. This would be extremely helpful when running a country.
King James I also believed that absolutism was the way to rule. He thought that kings were like Gods therefore he believed in Divine Right. Divine Right is the belief that kings get their authority from God. "The state of monarchy is the supremest thing upon earth; for kings are not only God's lieutenants upon earth, and sit upon God's throne, but even by God himself they are called gods". What he means by this is that Kings have every right and power needed to rule. With Kings having every right to rule there would be no questions as to whether or not a King is fit to rule
King Louis XIV believed in absolutism. He once stated “The head alone has the right to deliberate and decide, and the functions of all the other members consist only in carrying out the