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24. Political Theory / C. Ruling a State / 2. Leaders / b. Monarchy

[hereditary or elected lifetime leader]

21 ideas
A true king shares his pleasure with the people [Mengzi (Mencius)]
Kings should be selected according to character [Aristotle]
Monarchs are always proud, and can't back down [Spinoza]
Kings tend to fight wars for glory, rather than for peace and liberty [Spinoza]
Deposing a monarch is dangerous, because the people are used to royal authority [Spinoza]
Absolute monarchy is inconsistent with civil society [Locke]
The nobility are an indispensable part of a monarchy [Montesquieu]
Monarchs must not just have links to the people; they need a body which maintains the laws [Montesquieu]
Ambition is good in a monarchy, because the monarch can always restrain it [Montesquieu]
In monarchies, men's actions are judged by their grand appearance, not their virtues [Montesquieu]
In a monarchy, the nobility must be hereditary, to bind them together [Montesquieu]
Monarchies can act more quickly, because one person is in charge [Montesquieu]
Modern monarchies are (like republics) rule by law, rather than by men [Hume]
Ancient monarchs were kings of peoples; modern monarchs more cleverly rule a land [Rousseau]
The highest officers under a monarchy are normally useless; the public could choose much better [Rousseau]
Attempts to train future kings don't usually work, and the best have been unprepared [Rousseau]
Hereditary monarchy is easier, but can lead to dreadful monarchs [Rousseau]
The whole point of a monarch is that we accept them as a higher-born, ideal person [Novalis]
A monarchical family is always deeply concerned with the interests of the state [Tocqueville]
A monarch is known to everyone in the group, and can thus unite large groups [Russell]
A lifelong head of society should only be a symbol, not a ruler [Weil]