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  1. #1
    Site Moderator kgauck's Avatar
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    To grant the maximum flexibility, its best not to tie BR too closely to any
    single historical precident, but to use a variety. For example, the Brecht
    strike me as more Italian than German. Sure they are culturally
    German-feeling, but there is valuable analogy in the Italian city states as
    well that should not be ignored.

    The issue of divine right in BR is just one of a cluster called the
    legitimation of authority. We might look to Ma`at in Egypt, the Mandate of
    Heaven in China, the Biblical example of God setting up monarchy in Israel,
    the Roman experience of divine Emperors, Aztec concepts of divine
    legitimation, and on and on.

    The more models we use, the more we can vary theories between NPC`s, between
    realms, between nations, between races. While all of these models involve
    some divine sphere sanctioning authority on Earth, they all vary
    sufficiently to be useful for fleshing out cultures. When combines with the
    patron gods, as an ideoogical admixture, we can create an interesting and
    Cerilian ideology to base the culture on.

    Kenneth Gauck
    kgauck@mchsi.com

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  2. #2
    Site Moderator kgauck's Avatar
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    Divine right did exist, it was an attempt to argue that monarchy was
    autocratic (rather than organic, see Carl Cramér`s post earlier from today).
    It was put forward by the eminent legal theorist Grotius and is based on
    Stoic principles, not religious ones. It is therefore an entirely secular
    theory. One might say that as the power of the state comes to eclipse the
    power of the church, the state developes and ideology to legitimate its
    authority. Grotius (1583-1645), was followed by Jacques-Benigne Bossuet
    (1627-1704), who wrote a book, _Divine Right of Kings_ which gave us the
    famous phrase. Bossuet harmonized the natural law theory of autocracy of
    Grotius with the medieval tradition in which the Church supports the power
    of the state. This strain of thought comes from St Augustine`s explanation
    of why secular authority is paramount in this world, and religious in the
    next. This is an application very broadly of "render unto Caesar what is
    Caesar`s".

    Along these lines, we should mention Hobbes and his Leviathan. For similar
    reasons and similar ends, Hobbes also argues for absolute autocracy, the
    abandonment of organic models of the state, and posits his arguement in
    natural law terms.

    As for Birthright, I have had NPC`s mouth Hobbes, and could very well mouth
    Grotius or Bossuet if I like. Usually such NPC`s are the loyal supporters
    of the crown who enflame the powerful figures in the realm who have adopted
    a shared model (on whatever basis) of secular power. One can easily imagine
    how disliked a royal minister would be in Stjordvik who argued for
    autocratic powers for the crown.

    Kenneth Gauck
    kgauck@mchsi.com

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