Absolute Monarchy, Enlightenment, and the Rise of Capitalism
Absolute Monarchy
Absolute monarchy originated from the authoritarian monarchies of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. It substituted the political model of medieval feudalism, or feudal monarchy, that had been characterized by the disintegration of political power. Absolute monarchy is characterized by the concentration of large amounts of power in the monarch. During the seventeenth century, most European states implemented absolute monarchy. The chief representative of absolute monarchy was Louis XIV, whose motto was: “The state is I.” Absolutism arrived in Spain in 1700 with Philip V of Bourbon. The advocates of absolute monarchy were Jean Bodin, Thomas Hobbes, and Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet.
The Enlightenment
The Enlightenment was a cultural movement based on principles of philosophical and scientific development in Europe during the seventeenth century, also known as the Baroque period. Its ideas spread and were disseminated by the colonial European powers, especially in Hispanic America and the English colonies in North America. France became the center of diffusion of Enlightenment ideas because of the importance of their discarded thought, or rationalism, and their economic and cultural influence. Enlightenment ideas gave rise to the independence of the English colonies in North America and inspired the French Revolution.
Key Enlightenment Thinkers
John Locke (1632-1704) was an English philosopher and thinker who exerted great influence on the social, political, and religious thought of the Enlightenment. He was one of the fathers of liberalism. In his political treaties, he:
- Criticized absolutism.
- Defended the right of rebellion against tyranny.
- Affirmed that power should be separated.
- Promoted the natural and inalienable rights of man: life, private property, and happiness.
He stated, “All men are by nature free and equal before the law.”
Other Important Enlightenment Thinkers
- Montesquieu: An aristocrat of noble origin, his work “The Spirit of the Laws” reflects the ideas of Locke. He criticized absolutism and privilege and defended the ideal of a parliamentary monarchy based on the separation of powers.
- Voltaire: He was very critical of the intolerance of the Catholic Church, the king’s absolute power, and the privileges of the nobility.
- Rousseau: He was the forerunner of the democratic ideas of the nineteenth century. He defended equality, and his political thought is based on the idea that “Man has natural and inalienable rights, and it is citizens who have power and not the monarch.” In his work “The Social Contract,” he established the equality of citizens and affirmed the theory of the social pact.
Criticism of the Enlightenment to the Old Regime
Building on the basic principles of the Enlightenment, the great thinkers criticized the fundamental features of the Old Regime and proposed a new model of social and political organization based on the principles of freedom and equality. They:
- Criticized absolutism and established a new political doctrine: political liberalism.
- Criticized stratified society and defended social mobility according to the merits and intelligence of each individual. They believed that no one could inherit prestige or privilege from their ancestors.
- Criticized commercialism and created the foundations of economic liberalism (Physiocrats).
The Rise of Capitalist Economy
Handicraft production was replaced by massive production of merchandise. This economic change was accompanied by major social transformations:
- The transition from a rural or agrarian society to an industrial society with the development of urban services.
- The transition from a stratified society to a class society based on wealth, where a minority (the bourgeoisie) had property and the largest group only worked.