Absolutism in Europe

Absolutism in Europe

Definition and Characteristics

Absolutism: a system of government where a monarch holds complete control and power over their territory and people

• Key characteristics:

Centralized power

Divine right of kings (monarchs believed they were appointed by God)

Limited or no representation for citizens

No separation of powers (legislative, executive, judicial)

Often accompanied by a strong bureaucracy

Causes of Absolutism

Wars of Religion (16th-17th centuries): weakened feudalism and led to a desire for strong central authority

Rise of nation-states: monarchs sought to unify and strengthen their territories

Economic crisis: monarchs needed to consolidate power to address financial difficulties

Major Absolutist Monarchs in Europe

• Louis XIV of France (1643-1715)

Established a powerful centralized state

Created a strong bureaucracy and administrative system

Revoked the Edict of Nantes (1685), leading to the persecution of Huguenots

• Peter the Great of Russia (1682-1725)

Modernized and westernized Russia

Created a strong, centralized government

Established the Table of Ranks (1722), a system of nobility based on merit

• Frederick the Great of Prussia (1740-1786)

Expanded Prussian territory through military conquests

Established a strong, efficient bureaucracy

Encouraged Enlightenment thinkers and culture

Consequences of Absolutism

Strengthening of the state: absolutist monarchs created powerful, centralized governments

Limitations on individual freedom: citizens had limited representation and no separation of powers

Wars and conflicts: absolutist monarchs often engaged in wars to expand their territories and consolidate power

Enlightenment and criticism: absolutism sparked criticism from Enlightenment thinkers, who advocated for individual rights and liberties

Absolutism in Europe

Definition and Characteristics

Absolutism is a system of government where a monarch holds complete control and power over their territory and people

• Characteristics of absolutism include:

Centralized power, where the monarch has total authority

Divine right of kings, where monarchs believe they are appointed by God

Limited or no representation for citizens, with no input in government

No separation of powers, where the monarch holds legislative, executive, and judicial power

A strong bureaucracy that carries out the monarch's will

Causes of Absolutism

Wars of Religion (16th-17th centuries) weakened feudalism and led to a desire for strong central authority

The rise of nation-states led monarchs to seek unification and strengthening of their territories

Economic crises drove monarchs to consolidate power to address financial difficulties

Major Absolutist Monarchs in Europe

Louis XIV of France (1643-1715)

Established a powerful centralized state in France

Created a strong bureaucracy and administrative system

Revoked the Edict of Nantes (1685), leading to the persecution of Huguenots

Peter the Great of Russia (1682-1725)

Modernized and westernized Russia

Created a strong, centralized government

Established the Table of Ranks (1722), a system of nobility based on merit

Frederick the Great of Prussia (1740-1786)

Expanded Prussian territory through military conquests

Established a strong, efficient bureaucracy

Encouraged Enlightenment thinkers and culture in Prussia

Consequences of Absolutism

Strengthening of the state: absolutist monarchs created powerful, centralized governments

Limitations on individual freedom: citizens had limited representation and no separation of powers

Wars and conflicts: absolutist monarchs often engaged in wars to expand their territories and consolidate power

Criticism from Enlightenment thinkers: absolutism sparked criticism from thinkers who advocated for individual rights and liberties

The Scientific Revolution

• The Scientific Revolution was a series of events that marked the emergence of modern science during the early modern period.
• Developments in mathematics, physics, astronomy, biology, and chemistry transformed society's views about nature.
• The Scientific Revolution took place in Europe towards the end of the Renaissance period and continued through the late 18th century.

Key Figures and Events

• Nicolaus Copernicus' publication of De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres) in 1543 marked the beginning of the Scientific Revolution.
• Francis Bacon's "confident and emphatic announcement" in the modern progress of science inspired the creation of scientific societies.
• Galileo championed Copernicus and developed the science of motion.
• Isaac Newton's 1687 Principia formulated the laws of motion and universal gravitation, completing the synthesis of a new cosmology.

Scientific Societies

• The Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge was established in 1660 with Robert Hooke as the first Curator of Experiments.
• The Society's early meetings included experiments performed by Robert Hooke and Denis Papin.
• The Society began publication of Philosophical Transactions from 1665, the oldest and longest-running scientific journal in the world.
• The French established the Academy of Sciences in 1666 as a government body by Jean-Baptiste Colbert.

New Ideas

Astronomy

• The geocentric model of the Earth as the center of the universe was replaced by heliocentrism.

New Mechanical Devices

Calculating Devices

• John Napier introduced logarithms as a powerful mathematical tool.
• Henry Briggs and John Napier developed logarithmic tables that made calculations by hand much quicker.
• John Napier's bones used a set of numbered rods as a multiplication tool using the system of lattice multiplication.
• Edmund Gunter built the first analog device to aid computation, the 'Gunter's scale'.

Factors Contributing to the Scientific Revolution

• Collaboration between scientists and philosophers from different fields.
• Realization of the inadequacy of medieval experimental methods.
• Access to a legacy of European, Greek, and Middle Eastern scientific philosophy.
• The establishment of scientific societies like the Royal Society.

Impact of the Scientific Revolution

• The scientific revolution led to the development of the experimental method used today.
• It represented a step towards Enlightenment thinking with an emphasis on reason.
• The scientific revolution had a significant impact on the scientific method used in science today.

Explore the definition, characteristics, and causes of absolutism, a system of government where a monarch holds complete control and power