Question
All new nations had to answer one question: what form of government shall we have? The English philosopher, Thomas Hobbes, wrote in the 1600s that a powerful monarch, or king or queen, was the best way to unify a nation. Hobbes believed that kings were justified in assuming absolute power because only they could maintain order in a society. Absolutism is a political system where a monarch has absolute power over his or her people. This power is unlimited. Historians call this period of absolute monarchs the Age of Kings.
In the Age of Kings, many rulers had absolute or total power. People often believed that this power came from god. The belief that a ruler’s power came from God was known as the “divine right.” Divine Right theory was used by monarchs to increase their power. According to this theory, the king was God’s deputy on Earth. The king’s commands expressed God’s wishes.
Louis XIV of France provided a model for other absolute monarchs. Under his rule, the king’s command was law. Critics who challenged the king were punished. To control the nobles, Louis built a large palace at Versailles. Leading nobles were expected to spend most of the year at the royal court, under the watchful eye of the king. Louis also interfered in the economic and religious lives of his subjects. He demanded that Protestants convert to Catholicism or leave France. Finally, Louis involved his subjects in a series of wars to expand France’s frontiers and to bring glory to his rule.
Questions:
1. Who was Thomas Hobbes and what did he believe?
In the Age of Kings, many rulers had absolute or total power. People often believed that this power came from god. The belief that a ruler’s power came from God was known as the “divine right.” Divine Right theory was used by monarchs to increase their power. According to this theory, the king was God’s deputy on Earth. The king’s commands expressed God’s wishes.
Louis XIV of France provided a model for other absolute monarchs. Under his rule, the king’s command was law. Critics who challenged the king were punished. To control the nobles, Louis built a large palace at Versailles. Leading nobles were expected to spend most of the year at the royal court, under the watchful eye of the king. Louis also interfered in the economic and religious lives of his subjects. He demanded that Protestants convert to Catholicism or leave France. Finally, Louis involved his subjects in a series of wars to expand France’s frontiers and to bring glory to his rule.
Questions:
1. Who was Thomas Hobbes and what did he believe?
Answers
GPT-4o mini
Thomas Hobbes was an English philosopher who lived in the 1600s. He is best known for his works on political philosophy, particularly his book "Leviathan." Hobbes believed that a powerful monarch, or a king or queen, was the best form of government to unify a nation and maintain social order. He argued that individuals in a society would willingly give up some of their freedoms and submit to the authority of a strong ruler in exchange for security and stability. Hobbes emphasized that only an absolute authority could prevent chaos and violence in society, reflecting his view that human beings, in their natural state, were prone to selfishness and conflict. Thus, he justified absolute power in the hands of a monarch, believing it was necessary to ensure the peace and order of society.