Question

absolute monarchy
absolutism is a political system in which the ruler
is the final authority on all matters. this idea was
popularized in the reigns of monarchs such as
louis xiv of france and catherine the great of
russia. the opulence of the monarchy reflected
the prestige of the nation and the power of that
society. this excerpt describes how french
absolutists understood the rights and
responsibilities of monarchs.
secondary source: academic text
in practice, a french kings power was
constrained in several important ways...
he was considered bound by the
so-called fundamental laws of the realm.
these were unwritten, customary precepts
about the nature of monarchy. most
important, the king was limited by
contemporary concepts of natural law,
which meant that he was expected to
respect the rights, freedoms, privileges,
and property of his subjects. he was above
the law in sense that he could suspend the
rules and change procedures when he
acted in the general interest. nevertheless,
he was viewed as the defender of a
mystical body politic that was understood
to include existing hierarchical society in
which private individuals and groups
enjoyed distinctive rights and privileges.
this mandate left room for interpretation.
the king could act cautiously, consulting
powerful groups frequently and acting as
referee in their quarrels. or he could
intervene more dynamically by organizing
new ways to mobilize state power. in either
case, he would meet with resistance if he
appeared weak or if his government was
divided, and he would find widespread
support when he affected the role of
princely protector.
-william beik, louis xiv and absolutism: a
brief study with documents, 2000
constrained limited
body politic the people of a nation, state, or society
considered collectively as an organized group of citizens
examine the source

1. identifying according to absolutists, when was a

monarch \above the law\?

1. analyzing why might an absolute monarch meet

resistance if he or she appeared to be weak?

Explanation:

1. According to the text, the king was above the law in the sense that he could suspend the rules and change procedures when he acted in the general interest.
2. An absolute monarch might meet resistance if he or she appeared to be weak because it could lead to challenges from powerful groups. In a hierarchical society with distinct rights and privileges, a weak monarch might be seen as unable to uphold the established order. Also, if the government was divided (which could be a sign of weakness), different factions might not support the monarch. Additionally, the body politic (the organized group of citizens) had certain expectations. If the monarch couldn't fulfill the role of a strong protector (as part of the unwritten "fundamental laws" and concepts of natural law that respected subjects' rights), resistance could occur.

Answer:

1. When he acted in the general interest.
2. Because it could lead to challenges from powerful groups, as a weak monarch might be seen as unable to uphold the established order (with the body politic having expectations of a strong protector role based on unwritten laws and concepts of natural law respecting subjects' rights), and a divided government (a sign of weakness) could also cause different factions to not support the monarch.