This paper examines the fact that although both theorists differ moderately in their approaches and definitions of despotism of the majority, they agree it hinders the liberty and individuality of the citizens and is tyrannical.
1,844 words (approx. 7.4 pages), 2 sources, 1998, $ 59.95
From the Paper "Political theorists have long pondered the formula for a successful governing system. In doing so, despotism and majoritarian rule have arisen as two possible forms of government. John Stuart Mill in On Liberty, and Alexi de Tocqueville, in Democracy in America, both refute the idea of despotic rule, not of a single ruler, but of the majority. The ?tyranny of the majority,?[1] as Mill describes, is worse than straightforward dictatorship and should be avoided. Tocqueville concurs that unlimited power, in the hands of an absolute majority that is able to exercise both physical and moral control, is dangerous to the sovereignty of the individual. "
Abstract This paper looks at the media along with the control of media forms by historical and despotic governments such as Stalin's regime and Nazi Germany. The paper also discusses how the media can be used to abuse public matters and provides a recommendation of stronger laws to possibly bring some media agencies into line.
From the Paper "Until the governments actually lay out rigid guidelines for media agencies there will always be invasion of privacy issues, libellous acts and breaks in national security, until such time there will be more and more indirect control of the media by governments. However, it must be stressed that these rigid laws must not be all controlling and non sympathetic to the journalists need to report the facts and truth, the law should not deny this for once truth is denied we lose our ability of the freedom of the press completely."
Examines the theory, three examples (Frederick the Great of Prussia, Catherine the Great of Russia and President Franklin Roosevelt), benefits and the problem of succession.
1,575 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 4 sources, 1999, $ 55.95
Abstract The political doctrine of enlightened despotism, after enjoying great prestige in the 18th century, has fallen on hard times in the 19th and 20th centuries. On the level of political theory, it was eclipsed first, in the late 18th century and through much of the 19th century, by the doctrine of limited constitutionalism, whether republican or constitutional monarchy.
From the Paper "The political doctrine of enlightened despotism, after enjoying great prestige in the 18th century, has fallen on hard times in the 19th and 20th centuries. On the level of political theory, it was eclipsed first, in the late 18th century and through much of the 19th century, by the doctrine of limited constitutionalism, whether republican or constitutional monarchy. In the 20th century, it has been eclipsed even more forcibly by the doctrine of democracy. Even political systems that are in practice purely despotic now tend to veil themselves in the forms of parliamentary democracy.
Thus, few today will say a good word for despotism, enlightened or otherwise. Yet a strong argument can be made that, in practice, only an enlightened despot can intelligently solve a country's problems, particularly when that country is ..."
Abstract An in-depth examination of the role of climate and how it leads a nation either to freedom or despotism. This paper takes seriously the discussion of Montesquieu in "Spirit of the Laws" and provides an in-depth analysis of his arguments and how the negative effects of climate may be reversed.
From the Paper "Among the most controversial parts of Montesquieu's Spirit of the Laws has to do with the relation of climate to the laws. According to Montesquieu, if characters and passions vary according to climate, the laws ought to take this into account (231). In part three of The Spirit of the Laws, Montesquieu gives his opinion as to how people living in various parts of the world are affected by climate, and how as a result, laws differ to take these differences of character into account. He ultimately concludes that although climate is a major factor that may lead a nation to despotism, the wise legislator can, in many cases, take steps to counteract its effects."
Tags:despotism, freedom, government, law, montesquieu, politic, politics, society
Abstract There is much debate over whether Catherine the Great was an enlightened despot. This paper discusses that, despite contentions that her policies were enacted to only benefit herself, Catherine the Great studied the works of leading enlightened thinkers so that she could make educated decisions for her country. It explains how Catherine the Great's exact goals as a ruler may be found in her 1766 work, entitled "Instructions to the Commissioners for Composing a New Code of Laws," which references enlightened thinkers of the day and promoted the creation of a free society. Although Catherine the Great did not achieve all of her enlightened goals, she took steps that allowed them to be realized in the future.
From the Paper "Despite occasional shortcomings, Catherine the Great ruled Russia as a true enlightened despot from 1762 to 1796. During that time, she corresponded with many renowned thinkers of the enlightenment and converted their theories into law. Additionally, she made significant agricultural and scientific reforms, and she attempted to bring equality to Russian society. Although she failed to end serfdom, she promoted the ideals of equality for all under the law. Because of this, Catherine the Great must be considered a dedicated and successful enlightened despot."
An examination of how absolutism came to be after the Renaissance and how it spread quickly to nation states such as Russia and France, but was tossed out in England.
Abstract This essay deals with all aspects of absolutism; the stormy political climate which incubated it after the Renaissance and then its reign as the most effective form of government in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
From the Paper "Many different kinds of political systems have been used in Europe throughout history. One of the most popular forms during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries were absolute monarchies in which monarchs with power and wealth governed nation-states such as Russia and France. The English, however, made attempts to protect individual rights and to limit royal power. There was now friction between the two types of government; with both advantages and disadvantages being found for both."
Tags: absolute, absolutism, despots, england, france, monarchies, monarchs, russia, tyrants
A discussion of how the American pursuit for freedom, modeled after reform movements in England and France, has resulted in the most revered democratic society in the world.
Abstract This paper evaluates how the United States has done something that its European relatives admire ? it achieved a stable democracy free of aristocratic and religious tyranny and this was accomplished in a relatively bloodless fashion. The Europeans, whose struggles to break free of religious and political domination paved the way for the American Revolution. This paper examines the idea of democracy and shows how America today is an egalitarian society free of a class or caste system that is not ruled by a despot or tyrannical religious leader.
From the Paper "As far as religion was concerned, Deism had replaced Christianity in America and even early practitioners such as Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Paine believed in the fundamental idea that every religion had its place in the new society. Deism's fundamental difference from other religions seemed to rest on the fact that Deists didn't believe all the miracles that were pervasive in other religions. Other faiths in Europe used miracles and stories as tales to commoners to bolster or support for a politician or religious leader who as the person "closest to God," is able to "translate." This misuse of power would never be supported in America."
A developmental approach to understanding the Romanov dynasty and the conceptuality of growth behind the Russian monarchy. This paper focuses on Alexander I and Constantine under the personal guidance of Catherine the Great.
Abstract This paper looks deeper into the lives and personalities of individual monarchs in an attempt to achieve a greater understanding of the complex way they treated their subjects in post-despotic Russia. A study contra to most of the individual psychology based papers, with more of an attentive outlook towards the link of the monarchy of Russia and the autocrats as a leading caste more so than an individual. The paper shows how the monarchs chose to view themselves and how this affected their reigns. It views historiography grounded on over-arching theories, and leaves a closer, more psychologically-oriented picture of individuals who played extraordinary roles on the world's stage. Finally, it focuses towards conclusions of the effect on the monarchy and Imperial Russia through the upbringings of Catherine's two elder grand children as well as the gubernatorial interactions in history with the monarchs of Russia.
From the Paper "The soul of the immortal divine King Osiris becomes the soul of every Egyptian, as Christ becomes the soul of every Christian, so does the function of a monarch. A monarch is a social apparatus to will and decide and a model for all subsequent acts of free will and the ego of the individual. Originally attributed to law making functions a monarch has by modern man become the inner court of conscience. (2) The final century of the 300 year old Romanov Dynasty saw an unrelenting ineffective series of reigns. Incompetence is naturally not an especially rare quality in a monarch, as history shows us, but indeed, by definition, as they come to power through birthright and not merit the deleterious effects alone result in the occasional tyrant or foolish monarch."
Examines major changes: declining political unity, loss of land, Islamicization of foreign ruling elites, growing religious & cultural cross-influences with oriental despotism.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 5 sources, 1996, $ 47.95
From the Paper "This research paper summarizes developments in the nature of Islamic states during the 12th, 13th and 14th (Western calendar) centuries. The most important changes were the following: (1) declining political unity and loss of significant territory; and (2) the emergence of new political institutions which varied by region, including the Islamicization of foreign ruling elites, a deepening of the roots of Islamic religious and cultural influence in many states and the evolution of mixed Islamic and traditional oriental despotisms in others.
The Rise and Partial Disintegration of the Arab Empire
In the 7th and 8th centuries, the Islamic theocratic regime established by the Prophet Muhammad and his successors in Arabia..."
Examines cycles of despotism and freedom from the early 19th Century to 1991, discussing power, social forces, leadership, reform, military and ideology.
2,700 words (approx. 10.8 pages), 10 sources, 1992, $ 95.95
From the Paper "The purpose of this research is to examine the cycle of political despotism and freedom that is characteristic of the history of Russia, from the period of Tsar Nicholas I to the current period. The plan of the research will be to set forth the scope and limit of the study in the context of political development in Russia, and then to discuss what could be called the pendulum of social experience that has affected dramatic political and cultural change in the country.
The modern post-monarchical history of Russia is embedded in its monarchic past. To understand how and why sociocultural and sociopolitical change has so dramatically affected Russia from time to time, it is necessary to understand the forces militating both for and against such change throughout the country's history. And a decisive fact about that history is the massive ..."
From the Paper "This study will examine the life of Turkish leader Abdul Hamid II (1842-1918).
Of the three sources consulted for this study, two are unabashedly critical of Hamid and his despotic rule, and one attempts to maintain objectivity. The latter work, Alma Wittlin's psychological study Abdul Hamid: The Shadow of God, "seeks to portray the last of the . great Oriental despots, a man who figured most prominently in ... one of the great and decisive developments in modern history --- the trend of the East towards Western civilization . . . . " (Wittlin 6)
While Wittlin tries to keep Hamid in the context of history and global political change, S.V. Bedickian (The Red Sultan's Soliloquy) and Sir Edwin Pears (Life of Abdul Hamid) have little but contempt for Hamid. Although Hamid is included in the Basil..."
Abstract Philosophers have held different ideas about the nature of freedom and human beings' responsibility for their own liberty. A review of three conceptions of freedom in this paper, held by John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and John Dewey, demonstrates how such ideas were often developed in direct relationship to the writers' own times and circumstances. The paper shows that Locke was an Englishman living in a nation where certain rights were guaranteed but a balance had to be maintained between the rights of individuals and the power of the crown. Rousseau wrote in the shadow of the despotism inherent in the absolute monarchy of France. It shows that Dewey lived in the world's first representative democracy, where freedom had long been guaranteed and its exercise was the responsibility of the individual.
From the Paper "Each of these three conceptions opposes its idea of freedom to the oppressiveness of tyranny and each places responsibility for securing freedom on human beings themselves. But where Locke saw this as an occasional matter that arose when tyrants gained control of government, Rousseau believed that individuals, having imposed their corrupt institutions on themselves by giving up too much of their freedom, needed to rid themselves of these limiting conditions and replace them with new institutions that worked in accordance with the natural liberty that had been forfeited by civilized humanity. Dewey, who lived, after all, in a representative democracy, disregarded such concerns and saw it as each individual's responsibility to expand her/his sphere of action by making intelligent choices--regardless of whether such choices involved action within one's family, one's profession, or one's society."
Abstract "Brave New World", by Aldous Huxley, depicts a world where despots have used scientific breakthroughs as a way to completely control society. The paper shows that while at first the book seems like an indictment of science, it actually is a warning against the misuse of science to exert power instead of pursuing knowledge. The paper shows how elements of contemporary world events are evident throughout the novel, despite the fact that it was written a decade before WWII.
From the Paper "In Brave New World, the government has co-opted science and uses it as a weapon to control the citizens of the world. They provide all the citizens with a powerful drug called "Soma" that blunts emotions and makes people compliant. They sterilize most women, but leave some fertile so they can remove their ovaries when new children need to be grown in test tubes. The purpose of sex is for personal pleasure only. The concept of love is abhorrent, and the worst insult one can hurl at another is "How's your mother"? implying that the person was not decanted from a glass bottle as normal people are born, but from the disgusting process of procreation, pregnancy and birth."
Abstract This paper looks at the history of journalism and looks at key aspects of media formats such as internet usage along with the control of such media forms by historical and despotic governments.
Abstract This paper discusses how two books, "Red Azaliea: Life and Love in China" by Anchee Min and "Lost Names: Scenes from a Korean boyhood" by Richard Kim, portray societies in which ordinary life is subject to extraordinary political repression. How do authorities in each case try to assert control? How do the protagonists come to an outlook different from the official line? Both of the central characters in these autobiographies suffer at the hands of oppressors, and both survive to live better lives. The authorities use power, control, and repression to hang on to their political authority, but all they do is create hatred and animosity in the people, and ultimately, their control comes crashing down around them.
From the Paper "Both of these autobiographical tales show the great cruelties and evils that can be inflicted on a society by an aggressor or a despot who employ extraordinary political repression. In "Lost Names," Kim's memories of occupied Koreas show how the Japanese attempted to infiltrate every facet of Korean life. The Japanese begin programming the young Koreans early by hanging the Japanese flag and propagandist slogans in their school classrooms (Kim 31). Throughout the book, the Japanese break the Koreans; spirit by stealing what is theirs by their hard work, and leaving them with next to nothing. For example, the Japanese take the prevalent and favored rice from the Koreans and send it home to Japan, leaving the Koreans feeling nothing but hunger and bitterness. "
