Absolute Monarchy in Europe: 15th to 18th Century

Posted on Jan 15, 2025 in History

Absolutism was a political system that prevailed in Europe, originating in the France of Louis XIV. It was established virtually throughout the continent in the 17th and 18th centuries, constituting the so-called “Old Regime.”

Absolutism asserted that all power should be concentrated in the hands of the king, who held it fully and absolutely. It was believed that the king received power directly from God, so no one could oppose his will (the Theory of Divine Right of Kings).

There were strong advocates of the absolute system, such as:

  • Jacques Bossuet (Divine Right of Kings)
  • Thomas Hobbes (social contract between ruler and ruled)

Among the factors that led to the emergence of the absolute system were:

  1. The instability of the nobility and clergy. Both groups grew antagonistic, often at the behest of the monarchs.
  2. Religious wars and revolutionary movements created insecurity and a desire for peace. Monarchies appeared as the only force capable of ensuring order.
  3. The existence of theorists who defended the existence of monarchical power.

Criticism of the system primarily came from England: Blaise Pascal criticized monarchical centralism, and John Locke defended the inalienable rights of human beings.

Major European Monarchies

  • Spain: The Habsburg dynasty during the 16th and 17th centuries, and the Bourbons from the 18th century.
  • France: The Valois dynasty in the 16th century, and the Bourbons from the late 16th century until the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
  • England: The Tudor dynasty in the 16th century and part of the 17th, the Stuarts for most of the 17th and early 18th centuries, and Hanover from the mid-18th century.

The Enlightenment and Enlightened Despotism in the 18th Century

The rationalist movement known as the “Enlightenment” was born in France in the 18th century. It is characterized by:

  • Boundless faith in reason and science
  • The search for the useful and the pragmatic
  • A strong focus on nature

The search for human happiness through this worldview also led to relentless criticism of the institutions of the time (monarchy, bourgeoisie, and society in general).

The Enlightenment developed outside of official academies and universities. Its nuclei of influence were intellectual salons. Its media were newspapers, books, magazines, and brochures.

Notable Enlightened Intellectuals

  • Montesquieu: Works include “The Persian Letters” and “The Spirit of the Laws.” The latter proposes the separation of state powers.
  • Voltaire: In his works “Essay on the Manners and Spirit of Nations” and “Philosophical Dictionary,” he attacks the great principles of the time, despotism, and authority.
  • Rousseau: His works, such as “Julie, or the New Heloise” and “Emile,” are social and educational. His political ideas are manifested in works like “Discourse on Inequality” and “The Social Contract,” which posits the theory of popular sovereignty.
  • Diderot and D’Alembert: Authors of “Encyclopédie,” a compendium of the arts, sciences, and crafts of the period.

Enlightened Despotism

Enlightened Despotism was a series of changes generated from power in many different areas. It was intended to benefit society but without its input (“Everything for the people, but without the people”).

Representatives of this thinking included rulers such as:

  • Charles III of Spain
  • Frederick II of Prussia
  • Catherine II of Russia
  • Louis XVI of France

Other Aspects of Culture, Economy, and Society in the 17th and 18th Centuries

In the 17th century, the Baroque emerged as a reaction to the orderly representation of the world during the Renaissance. It found expression in art, philosophy, literature, and music, among other fields. Tendencies such as empiricism (Francis Bacon) and rationalism (René Descartes, Baruch Spinoza, and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz) appeared. The birth of modern science resulted from breakthroughs in new experimental methods and observation techniques. Figures like Galileo Galilei, Johannes Kepler, and Isaac Newton contributed to a greater understanding of the universe and natural forces.

In the 18th century, prominent figures included:

  • Antoine Lavoisier (chemistry)
  • Anders Celsius and Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (physics)
  • Benjamin Franklin (lightning)
  • Luigi Galvani (electric currents)
  • Alessandro Volta (battery power)

In economics, mercantilism was imposed across Europe, later giving way to free trade and the Physiocrats.