LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Absolutism
built 213 days ago
Absolutism, or an absolute state, is based on the idea that kings (or queens, as the case may be) have divine rights and answer only to God. They do not need to heed advice of parliament, the estates general or the nobility. This ultimate political power gave monarchs jurisdiction over every aspect of the lives of their citizens. An absolute monarch regulated taxation and national spending, government, and religious sects. Absolute rulers ... maintained standing armies, something that was impossible during the Middle Ages and much of the Renaissance, due to lack of hard coin. In many areas, absolute rulers began limiting personal freedoms of certain groups, such as the Jews.
Source:
Absolutism was one of the most common forms of government for much of the 20th century, and it is still common today. Absolutism has taken wide-ranging forms such as military dictatorships in Latin America, authoritarian communism in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and Eastern Europe, and dictatorships in Africa. Despite the wide range of forms of absolutism, most 20th-century absolutist regimes have shared a few basic traits. These include centralization of power, close control of social groups, absence of competing political parties, and the outward appearance of popular representation.
Source:
The introduction of Absolutism itself did not lead to any immediate intensification of censorship, even though the government fully acknowledged the power of the written word. In 1666 the Mercurius, a monthly periodical of verse, began to appear with royal support. The purpose, beyond general information, was to glorify Absolutism.
Source:
Absolutism, may be historically defined as a sovereign power vested in an ultimate authority of the state resting in the hands of one that rules, often, by perceived divine right. Countries that are ruled by individuals who claim the authority to rule by divine intervention or those whose leaders talk to God claiming that divine power has chosen them to be in power, are ruled by absolutists. What tolerance is there in such an environment for dissent? Consequently, as dissent disappears, being chastised absolutely, advancement in democracy suffers. The prospect of democracy further deteriorates in such a poisoned socio-political and philosophical landscape. "If you are not with us, you are against us." There is the danger of an absolutist cartel wielding power, stifling any attempt of any other explanation of anything. One might ask, "What is there to hide?" Very much, actually.
Source:
Following the introduction of Absolutism, the newspapers were excepted from general censorship by Copenhagen University and placed under the German Chancellery [1]. The time cannot be ascertained precisely, but none of the aforementioned laws contain regulations regarding newspaper censorship. The transformation had been implemented because the German Chancellery had been regarded as better suited, as the relationship to foreign states was ... the focus of censorship protection. With the rescript of 15 January 1701, however, newspaper censorship was placed under the Danish Chancellery. This time the transformation was implemented because it was desired to tighten the practice due to the special difficulties brought on by the Great Nordic War.
Source:
Absolutism can be expressed in absolute principles as well as intrinsic actions. Utilitarianism (Chapter 4) which denotes the good action as the one which does the greatest good for the greatest number, can be said to have an absolute principle at its heart. Curiously, one could make the claim for Situation Ethics (Chapter 9) which rests on an absolute principle of love. This can be confusing as the OCR exam board offers Situation Ethics as an example of a relativist theory.
Source:
MORE ABOUT
Absolutism