UNIT II:

POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES

LESSON 2: ANARCHISM
VERSUS ABSOLUTISM
 MAJOR POLITICAL
IDEOLOGIES
1. Anarchism
2. Absolutism
3. Liberalism
4. Conservatism
5. Socialism
The five major political ideologies have played
a key role in world history by shaping
governments and political movements.
 Anarchism
The belief that the best
government is absolutely
no government is known
as anarchism. This
ideology argues that
everything about
governments is repressive
and therefore must be
abolished entirely.
A related ideology known as nihilism emphasizes
that everything—both government and society—
must be periodically destroyed in order to start
anew.
Nihilists often categorically reject traditional
concepts of morality in favor of violence and
terror.
Anarchism and nihilism were once associated with
socialism because many anarchists and nihilists
supported the socialists’ call for revolution and
the complete overhaul of government and society
in the early to mid-twentieth century.
ADVOCATES OF
ANARCHISM
William Godwin
William Godwin (1756–1836) was
the founder of philosophical
anarchism. In his An Enquiry
Concerning Political Justice (1793)
he argued that government is a
corrupting force in society,
perpetuating dependence and
ignorance, but that it will be
rendered increasingly unnecessary
and powerless by the gradual
spread of knowledge and the
expansion of the human
understanding.
 Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin
Mikhail Alexandrovich
Bakunin was a
Russian revolutionary anarchist, and
founder of collectivist anarchism. He is
considered among the most influential
figures of anarchism, and one of the
principal founders of the social
anarchist tradition.Bakunin's
enormous prestige as an activist made
him one of the most famous
ideologues in Europe, and he gained
substantial influence among radicals
throughout Russia and Europe.
Robert Graham
Robert Graham (born 1958) is a
Canadian anarchist historian and writer. He is the
editor of Anarchism: A Documentary History of
Libertarian Ideas, a three-volume collection of
anarchist writings from ancient China to the
present day. Volume One, subtitled "From Anarchy
to Anarchism", covers the period from 300CE to
1939.[2] Volume 2, subtitled "The Emergence of the
New Anarchism," covers the period from 1939,
when the Spanish anarchists were defeated and
the Second World War began, to 1977, by which
time the world had witnessed a remarkable
resurgence in anarchist ideas and movements.
Volume 3, subtitled "The New Anarchism," covers
the period from 1974 to 2012, showcasing the
different currents in anarchist theory and practice
which have developed since the 1970s.
 Absolutism
Absolutism is the
belief that a single
ruler should have
control over every
aspect of the
government and of
the people’s lives.
Absolute rulers had a variety of titles, including
chieftain, king, shah, pharaoh, emperor, sultan,
and prince.
In some cultures, the absolute ruler was seen as a
god in human form. Other peoples believed that
their ruler had the divine right of kings, meaning
that God had chosen the ruler to govern the rest.
As a result, many cultures with absolute rulers
practiced some form of caesaropapism, the belief
that the ruler is head of both the governmental
authority and the religious authority.
ABSOLUTE
MONARCHS
 Ivan the Terrible
Ivan IV, better known
as Ivan the Terrible,
became czar of Russia in
in 1547.  He was an
absolute monarch with
a wild temper who
killed many of his
advisors including his
son.
KING Louis XIV
Louis XIV, France's Sun King,
had the longest reign in
European history (1643-1715).
During this time he brought
absolute monarchy to its
height in four wars. ,
established a glittering court
at Versailles, and fought most
of the other European
countries
Frederick the Great
Frederick II, known as
Frederick the Great,
was Prussia's king from
1740 to 1786. By
winning wars and
expanding territories,
he established Prussia
as a strong military
power.
 Advocates of Absolutism
The Greek philosopher
Plato, for example,
firmly believed that the
best government would
be run by a benevolent
absolute ruler who
would have the people’s
best interests at heart.
 Advocates of Absolutism
English philosopher Thomas
Hobbes, meanwhile, was
perhaps the most persuasive
proponent of absolutism. In
his book Leviathan (1651), he
argued that life without
governments was “nasty,
brutish, and short” and that
people must willingly submit
to absolute rulers—even
tyrannical ones—in order to
live longer, more stable lives.
 Absolutism emphasizes:
A strong sense of order: Everything should be
carefully structured, including society. Disorder and
chaos are generally considered to be dangerous.
A clear-cut law of nature (or law of God): This law
must be obeyed. According to this law, some
people are inherently better than others.
A natural hierarchy: a power structure in which
some people have authority over others exists.
Therefore, the superior should rule the inferior.
This general view is called elitism, or elite theory.
 ACTIVITY 1
Compare and Contrast Anarchism and Absolutism

Political Ideology Advantages Disadvantages

 ACTIVITY 2
ESSAY: Can Absolutism or Anarchism Still Exist
Today? Prove your answer.
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