The Divine Right of Government
August 18, 2010
History is a great teacher. It often provides clues that enable us to understand the present and future.
Ancient regimes' concept of divine right of kings seems pertinent to today. Wikipedia offers as good a summary as any:
The Divine Right of Kings is a political and religious doctrine of royal absolutism. It asserts that a monarch is subject to no earthly authority, deriving his right to rule directly from the will of God. The king is thus not subject to the will of his people, the aristocracy, or any other estate of the realm, including the church.
The phrase "not subject to the will of his people" is an appropriate similarity to contemporary times. Divine right was based on a metaphysical assertion. Despite "ultimate authority," kings engaged "intellectuals" to provide supporting propaganda for the claim...
posted by jillosophy at 8/18/2010 09:44:00 PM
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