Despotism
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In political science, despotism (Greek: Δεσποτισμός, romanized: despotismós) is a form of government in which a single entity rules with absolute power. Normally, that entity is an individual, the despot (as in an autocracy), but societies which limit respect and power to specific groups have also been called despotic.[1]
Colloquially, the word despot applies pejoratively to those who use their power and authority to oppress their populace or subordinates. More specifically, the term often applies to a head of state or government. In this sense, it is similar to the pejorative connotations that are associated with the terms tyrant and dictator.[2]
Despot has also been a royal title assumed by various leaders historically.
Etymology
The root despot comes from the
Due to its reflexive connotation throughout history, the word despot cannot be objectively defined. While despot is closely related to other Greek words like basileus and autokrator, these connotations have also been used to describe a variety of rulers and governments throughout history, such as local chieftains, kings, and emperors.
Philosophy
Ancient Greek
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Of all the ancient Greeks, Aristotle was perhaps the most influential promoter of the concept of oriental despotism. He passed this ideology to his student, Alexander the Great, who conquered the Achaemenid Empire, which at the time was ruled by the despotic Darius III, the last king of the Achaemenid dynasty. Aristotle asserted that oriental despotism was not based on force, but on consent. Hence, fear could not be said to be its motivating force, but rather the servile nature of those enslaved, which would feed upon the power of the despot master.
Within ancient Greek society, every Greek man was free and capable of holding office; both able to rule and be ruled. In contrast, among the barbarians, all were slaves by nature. Another difference Aristotle espoused was based on climates. He observed that the peoples of cold countries, especially those of Europe, were full of spirit but deficient in skill and intelligence, and that the peoples of Asia, although endowed with skill and intelligence, were deficient in spirit and hence were subjected to slavery. Possessing both spirit and intelligence, the Greeks were free to govern all other peoples.[4]
For the historian Herodotus, it was the way of the Orient to be ruled by autocrats and, even though Oriental, the character faults of despots were no more pronounced than the ordinary man's, though given to much greater opportunity for indulgence. The story of Croesus of Lydia exemplifies this. Leading up to Alexander's expansion into Asia, most Greeks were repelled by the Oriental notion of a sun-king, and the divine law that Oriental societies accepted. Herodotus's version of history advocated a society where men became free when they consented lawfully to the social contract of their respective city-state.
French 18th century thought
The concept of despotism, and especially oriental despotism, entered European political thought with Montesquieu's
History
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In its classical form, despotism is a state in which a single individual (the despot) holds all the power and authority embodying the state, and everyone else is a subsidiary person. This form of despotism was common in the first forms of statehood and civilization; the Pharaoh of Egypt is an exemplary figure of the classical despot.
Yet although the word has a pejorative meaning nowadays, it was once a legitimate title of office in the Byzantine Empire, first used under Manuel I Komnenos (1143–1180) who created it for his appointed heir Alexius-Béla, according to Gyula Moravcsik as a translation of Béla's Hungarian title úr. It was typically bestowed on sons-in-law and later sons of the Emperor and, beginning in the 13th century, it was bestowed to foreign princes. The Despot wore elaborate costumes similar to the Emperor's and had many privileges. Despots ruled over parts of the empire called Despotates. In the Orthodox Liturgy, if celebrated in Greek, the bishop is addressed by the deacon as Despota even today.
The modern term seems to have been coined by the opponents of
At the same time, the term was used to imply
Contrast with absolute monarchy
According to Montesquieu, the difference between absolute monarchy and despotism is that in the case of the monarchy, a single person governs with absolute power by fixed and established laws, whereas a despot governs by his or her own will and caprice.[9]
See also
References
- OCLC 6325325. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
- ^ Pop, Vox (2007-09-29). "Are dictators ever good?". the Guardian.
- S2CID 154059320.
- ^ See: Politics (Aristotle) 7.1327b [1]
- ^ Grafton, Anthony; Blair, Ann (1998). The Transmission of Culture in Early Modern Europe. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 174.
- ^ World History, Spielvogel J. Jackson. Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, Columbus, OH. p. 520
- ^ Declaration of Independence: A Transcription. archives.org. 1776. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
- ^ WordNet Search - 3.0[dead link]
- ^ Montesquieu, "The Spirit of Laws" Archived 2014-08-14 at the Wayback Machine, Book II, 1.
External links
- Despotism: Encyclopaedia Britannica Films on YouTube