absolutism
Unlimited sovereign authority
Absolutism is the principle that certain truths, values, or powers are unconditional and not subject to qualification.
In political theory, absolutism refers to a system where a ruler holds unlimited authority—monarchy without constitutional restraints: the absolutism of Louis XIV.
In philosophy and ethics, it's the view that moral principles are universal and unchanging, regardless of context or circumstance.
The term often carries critical overtones, suggesting inflexibility or unwillingness to acknowledge nuance.
Rule by one
- dictatorshipUnchecked single-ruler government
- despotismAbsolute one-person rule
- tyrannyOppressive, absolute governance
- authoritarianismConcentrated, unchecked governmental power
totalitarianism · monarchy · sovereignty · centralization · supreme power · unlimited power · divine right · czarism
God-granted ruling authority
- papal infallibilityPontiff's error-free teaching authority
- theocracyRule by religious authority
- dogmatismUnyielding adherence to doctrine
- orthodoxyAdherence to accepted beliefs
fundamentalism · canon law · religious authority · papal supremacy · hierocracy
Doctrine of causal necessity
- universalismDoctrine of total reconciliation
- objectivismBelief in external truths
- categorical imperativeUnconditional ethical obligation
- natural lawInherent moral principles
deontology · foundationalism · essentialism · invariance · unconditional · certainty
Governance bound by fundamental laws
- limited governmentOfficially bounded political authority
- checks and balancesConstitutional power-limiting framework
- separation of powersConstitutional distribution of authority
- rule of lawSupremacy of established laws
republicanism · liberalism · democracy · consent of governed · popular sovereignty · individual rights · civil liberties · social contract
autocracy
Rule by one
- dictatorshipUnchecked single-ruler government
- despotismAbsolute one-person rule
- tyrannyOppressive, absolute governance
authoritarianism · totalitarianism · monarchy · sovereignty · centralization · supreme power · unlimited power · divine right · czarism · tsarism
divine right
God-granted ruling authority
- papal infallibilityPontiff's error-free teaching authority
- theocracyRule by religious authority
- dogmatismUnyielding adherence to doctrine
orthodoxy · fundamentalism · canon law · religious authority · papal supremacy · hierocracy
determinism
Doctrine of causal necessity
- universalismDoctrine of total reconciliation
- objectivismBelief in external truths
- categorical imperativeUnconditional ethical obligation
natural law · deontology · foundationalism · essentialism · invariance · unconditional · certainty
constitutionalism
Governance bound by fundamental laws
- limited governmentOfficially bounded political authority
- checks and balancesConstitutional power-limiting framework
- separation of powersConstitutional distribution of authority
rule of law · republicanism · liberalism · democracy · consent of governed · popular sovereignty · individual rights · civil liberties · social contract · Enlightenment
- Ancien Regimeintendant, Versailles, Bastille, corvee, capitation
- moralitymoral, moral values, immoral, moral principles, moral code
- governancegovernance, government, democracy, vote, parliament
- PortugalLisbon, Porto, Algarve, Oporto, Madeira
- royaltyking, queen, prince, princess, kings
- social systemspolitical systems, capitalism, feudalism, economic systems, socialism
absolutismdemocracy
Rule by the people
constitutionalism · self-government · self-governance · self-rule · limited government
absolutismrelativism
Context-dependent truth doctrine
moral relativism · cultural relativism · subjectivism · contextualism · situational ethics
absolutismflexibility
Ability to adapt easily
gradualism · moderation · nuance · pragmatism · compromise