The Justification of Absolutism
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The Justification of Absolutism
Rationality does not necessarily justify the theories behind absolutism; it was more the results of absolutism that made it justifiable at all. In the time of Louis XIV absolutism was justified by divine right and that, especially in the very Catholic French empire, made it acceptable to most people. There were many positive outcomes for absolutist France, such as the creation of a strong standing army and the unity and stability provided by a strong monarch . The previously unheard of sense of nationhood and pride felt throughout France during Louis XIVs reign was another positive result. Even the banishment of any religion other than Catholicism had positive effects in that the amount of religious resistances plummeted.
The most important result of Louis XIV absolutism was the nationwide sense of belonging. The people of France no longer saw themselves as belonging to a single person; they began to feel more as though belonging to a distinct country. They saw themselves as French for the first time. This realisation opened the doors for a new era in cultural development, which was symbolized by Louis, thus he became the embodiment of the state . By taking the nobility out of power in favour of an upper middle class representation, Louis lit the flame that started the nationalism trend in France. This is partly why he was known to at least his court as the Sun King The Catholic dominance in France also contributed to the countrys unity. Louis had revoked the Edicte Of Nantes and forced the Huguenots out of France. Now that everyone was practicing the same religion internal conflicts among the different religious sects was virtually nonexistent.
Louis XIV believed strongly in absolutism, which during his 73 year reign brought France to a pinnacle of cultural and military power. Absolutism brought the nation of France together as a country, even though it is still not essentially justified by rationality.