Absolutism Vs. Democracy

Although democracy is great, in the seventeenth and eighteenth century, absolutism was more of an effective form of government. Some benefits of being an absolute ruler were being able to have control of the country with unlimited power, having the advantage of being feared; and having the power to limit the people's wants. If you were catholic you would be thought of as a god. People did what you told them to do. It was good for military command; and helpful in making quick military decisions. There was also no form of mass communication and no education among the citizens of Europe.

In the words of Niccolo Machiavelli, "Men have less hesitation in offending a man who is loved than one who is feared, for love is held by a bond of obligation which, as men are wicked, is broken whenever personal advantage suggests it, but fear is the dread of punishment, which never relaxes,". What that means is that people will not think twice to stab you in the back if they have a genuine, true relationship with that person, but if you were to be feared, they would defend you so they would not die. The government could only change if people would let go of their fear.

King Louis XIV thought that the more you give to the people, the more they will want, the more they will try to take, and then they won't have the best thought in mind for the State. Since he had everything that he wanted, he would not be corrupted, leaving himself clearheaded in matters of the State. "The head alone has the right to deliberate and decide, and the functions of all the other members consist only in carrying out the commands given to them."

The divine right stated that the King was basically God. If they were Catholic, that is what they believed in. If they weren't Catholic, they didn't say anything about the king not being God because they were scared that something bad would happen to them for questioning the king, which led to the person