LOUIS AND ABSOLUTISM

Louis XIV and Absolutism



Louis XIV and Absolutism

Book Information

The book, Louis XIV and Absolutism, is written by William Beik. This book has delineated the successes of Louis and the concept of Absolutism as a secondary source. This book represents the life of Louis, who revived French Monarchy. The book has been published in 2000 by Palgrave Macmillan.

Why did I choose this book?

At present, people can be seen all over the world protesting, debating and fighting in favor of democracy. This book “Louis XIV and Absolutism”, however present a complete different dimension of ruling system, absolutism. Absolutism is the term, which refers to monarchical power that is uncontrolled by all other institutions, like social elites, legislatures and churches. This concept refers to the belief in absolute ideology in political, theological, ethical or philosophical matters. The concept of absolutism creates curiosity in me, because of my affiliation to a country which is run on democratic principle. Thus, I choose the book for the review, so that I can increase my understanding on the political system of absolutism.

Summary

This book portrays the life of King Louis XIV in a balanced way. King Louis XIV of France was also a significant representative of the tradition. Following the Glorious Revolution in England in 1688 and the French Revolution of 1789, monarchs in those countries were no longer able to base their claims to sovereign power on a divine mandate. Louis XIV understood very well that he was ruling a country where certain powerful people had vast influence in every province. He knew, for example, that the wealthy nobles who owned large estates and claimed special rights by birth would have to be made to cooperate or else there would be more civil uprisings, like the Fronde. One way to win their support was to make the king seem glorious and then allow the nobles to share in his glory.

With these thoughts in mind, Louis set out to glorify his name and to attract the greatest nobles to his court. He liked to be known as the Sun King, because the sun is the brightest star in the heavens. From the day he assumed personal power, he began hiring artists, writers, and musicians to promote his magnificence. He liked being compared to the emperors of the ancient world. In paintings, he was portrayed as Apollo, the Roman god of the sun, driving his chariot through the heavens; in sculpture, as a Roman emperor on horseback. A series of tapestries was made that told the story of Alexander the Great, who looked suspiciously like Louis. To honor his military achievements, Louis had victory arches imitating Roman models erected in major cities with the phrase “Louis the Great” inscribed in large letters.

The concept of Absolutism is expounded in this book to depict the widespread notion at that time. Although it need not refer only to monarchical rule, absolutism typically refers to royal absolutism. An absolute monarch respected the property of his or her subjects and even ...