European History Unit 3 Literature

The Republic by Jean Bodin

This author was devastated by the horrors and destruction of the French Wars of Religion. In this political work, he argued in favor of an absolute monarchy as the best protection against chaos.

The True Law of Free Monarchs by King James I

The author argued that God chooses kings to rule over nations. He used biblical examples to support absolute monarchy.

The Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes

He was hurt by the devastation of the English Civil War and believed that a strong, all-powerful monarch was the best protection against chaos. But, his most important contribution to political thought is his belief in the “social contract,” an unwritten agreement between the people and the government.

Of Civil Government by John Locke

The author believed the people have the right to break the contract if they are unhappy with the king. He argued that people possess “natural rights; including “life, liberty, and property.” He also believed that people have a “right to revolt.”