Aula - O absolutismo e a natureza social dos Estados Modernos

Name: Aula - O absolutismo e a natureza social dos Estados Modernos
Uploaded: 2020-09-02T13:18:46.000Z
Duration: 2 h 34 min 43 s

Introduction to International Relations History

Welcome and Overview

The session begins with greetings from Rodrigo Medinazane, welcoming participants to the course on the history of international relations.

The focus of today's lesson is on absolutism and the social nature of modern states.

Exploring Absolutism

The discussion will investigate images of the absolutist state, referencing Perry Anderson's work titled "As Imagens do Estado Absolutista."

A comprehensive analysis will be conducted regarding the legal-political dimension of the Old Regime, specifically focusing on Western absolutism during a mercantilist era.

Historical Context of Absolutism

Defining Absolutism

The lecture seeks to establish a historical definition and context for the phenomenon of absolutism in Western history.

Economic Crisis and Transition

According to historian Perry Anderson, between the 14th and 15th centuries, Europe faced a prolonged economic crisis that highlighted limitations within feudal production systems.

This crisis led to political outcomes in the 16th century, resulting in the emergence of absolutist states as a synthesis confronting feudal contradictions.

Development of Centralized Monarchies

Emergence of Absolute Monarchy

Between 1450 and 1500, there was significant development towards centralized monarchies in France, England, and Spain as they moved away from fragmented medieval sovereignty.

Transitioning Societal Structures

The transition from feudalism to capitalism involved decomposing old social structures while new capitalist elements were being established. Merchants gained prominence during this period.

Military Influence on State Power

Role of Permanent Armies

A key characteristic of modern states was the establishment of permanent standing armies funded by regular salaries. This military presence became essential for territorial integrity and expansion.

Economic Implications

Maintaining these armies required substantial resources; thus, war became an integral part of state formation processes.

Conclusion: Military Economics

Sustaining State Operations

Characteristics of Capitalism and the Role of the State

The Codification of Law and Property Rights

The codification of law is highlighted as a key feature of the Renaissance, particularly through the rediscovery of Roman law, which aligns with capitalist demands for clear legal definitions regarding bourgeois property rights.

Feudal Property Regimes

The feudal system allowed various property regimes, including partnerships like "meieiro," reflecting a complex organization of rural property that contrasts with emerging capitalist structures.

Economic Protectionism in Mercantilism

A unified market principle emerges from mercantilism, emphasizing economic protectionism where the state plays a central role in regulating economic activities and controlling production and circulation.

Trade Balance and Fiscal Systems

The stable trade balance principle suggests that healthy economies are surplus-oriented, leading to fiscal systems designed to protect domestic production against foreign competition.

National Fiscal Systems and Bourgeois Exploitation

Creation of national fiscal systems serves to exploit bourgeois activities, especially commerce, funding state enterprises and maintaining administrative bureaucracy.

Transition from Feudalism to Capitalism

Characteristics of Modern States

Despite identifying capitalist traits in modern states during formative periods, further exploration into historical controversies surrounding absolutist monarchies is necessary.

Historiographical Debates on Absolutism

Discussions within historiography debate whether absolutist states were bourgeois, feudalistic, or neutral hybrids formed by decomposing feudal elements alongside newly established structures.

Marxist Perspectives on Absolutism

Notably absent from direct theorization by Marx or Engels is an analysis focused on centralized monarchies during the Renaissance period termed as absolutist states.

The Nature of Social Structures in Modern States

Class Struggles and State Mediation

The nature of social structures within modern states becomes pivotal in broader debates about transitions between feudalism and capitalism within Marxist historiography.

Engels' View on Class Equilibrium

Engels describes absolutism as a product arising from class equilibrium between old feudal lords and new urban bourgeoisie during exceptional historical moments when classes balanced power dynamics.

Marx's Understanding of Absolutist States

Shift from Equilibrium to Bourgeois Characterization

Marx shifts his understanding away from viewing absolutist states as equilibrated entities towards recognizing them as fundamentally bourgeois due to their political roles under mercantilist frameworks.

Bureaucracy as Instrumentation for Domination

According to Marx, bureaucratic structures within absolutist states serve as tools for bourgeois domination while preparing for future industrial advancements.

State Mechanisms Under Absolutism

Instruments of Control

Understanding the Role of Bureaucracy and Absolutism in State Structure

The Nature of Bureaucracy and Political Power

Perceiro discusses how bureaucracy operates within the state's administrative structure, highlighting a rationalized political conception that conflicts with feudal characteristics of governance as noted by Marx.

According to Marx, the magistracy ensures the dominance of clearly defined property types over various forms typical of suzerainty and vassalage systems.

Marx argues that institutions arise from a hierarchical division of labor, reflecting a bourgeois political organization aimed at broader social structuring.

Transition from Feudalism to Capitalism

This worldview is rooted in the struggle against feudalism, which facilitates direct capital domination that later solidifies into industrial forms.

Perry Anderson's work "Azimages" (1974) critiques definitions surrounding absolutist states during Britain's transition from feudalism to capitalism.

Persistence of Feudal Relations

Anderson notes that the end of serfdom did not eliminate feudal relations in agriculture; production relations remained fundamentally feudal.

He posits that during early modern history, the dominant class was still the medieval aristocracy despite significant transformations over subsequent centuries.

Economic Power Dynamics

Despite changes, this nobility retained its political power throughout absolutist rule without being displaced from their dominant position.

There is an absence of equivalent economic power; productive capital and circulation are distinct entities within this context.

The Role of Absolutism

For Anderson, absolutism represents a restructured feudal domination apparatus reinforced by an emerging merchant bourgeoisie aiming to maintain traditional subordination among peasant masses.

The shift from servitude to wage labor intensified in urban settings due to commercial expansion and reorganization in manufacturing workshops and rural areas alike.

Misconceptions about Absolutist States

Contrary to Engels' view as a mediator between nobility and rising bourgeois interests, Anderson asserts that absolutist states were new manifestations of noble power amid economic incapacity.

He emphasizes fears among nobles regarding both rebellious peasantry and ascending bourgeois classes while maintaining their political dominance through state structures.

Historical Perspectives on Absolutism

Christopher Hill's earlier arguments (1950), aligned with New Left historians, characterize absolutist monarchy as a form adapted from medieval structures but retaining similar ruling classes under new state mechanisms for capital expropriation.

In 1972, Perry Anderson reiterated these views by linking absolutist states with transitional social formations driven by commodity production dynamics influenced by burgeoning merchant capitalism.

Conclusion: Political Regimes Amid Economic Change

Understanding the Transition from Feudalism to Absolutism

The Nature of Modern States

The widely accepted thesis among historians regarding economic and social history debates is that modern states, particularly absolutist ones, serve as instruments of feudal nobility's hegemony.

Investigating Power Origins

This discussion leads to an investigation into the origins of power within the absolutist state, tracing back to medieval noble power structures prevalent in Europe.

Feudalism as a Dominant System

Feudalism is described as an organic unit encompassing both economic systems and political domination, relying on serf labor for extracting economic surpluses that sustain the ruling class throughout the medieval period.

Economic Exploitation and Political Coercion

The exploitation of peasants and legal-political coercion are fundamental aspects of these societies, highlighting how they functioned under a dual system of economic extraction and political control.

Class Structure and Ideological Superstructure

A complete ideological superstructure supports this social system, reflecting the class power dynamics held by feudal lords over their vassals.

Visualizing Social Hierarchy

Mental Maps Illustrating Power Structures

To illustrate this power structure better, two mental maps based on Perry Anderson's theses have been prepared to depict the formation of absolutism in Western states during the transition from feudalism to capitalism.

First Mental Map: Social Hierarchy

The first map demonstrates a hierarchical social structure characterized by relationships of suzerainty and vassalage.

Top Tier: Suzerain Lords

At the top tier are suzerain lords who claim dominion over lands owned by their vassals along with military forces and part of their economic surplus.

Vassal Lords' Obligations

Below them are feudal lords who owe military service and loyalty to their suzerains while also engaging in direct economic ties through surplus extraction from serfs.

Base Level: Serfdom Dynamics

At the base level lies a cell of oppression where serfs are bound by servitude to their feudal lords, forming a critical unit for understanding political and economic oppression dynamics.

The Shift in Power Dynamics

Breaking Bonds Between Classes

Moving onto the second mental map illustrates what happens when bonds between feudal lords and serfs begin to break down due to emerging capitalist influences.

Ascending Coercive Structures

This rupture results in an upward shift in coercive structures leading towards centralized authority within absolutist states that directly oppress peasantry.

Centralized Military Authority

The centralization creates a highly militarized state apparatus whose primary function is ongoing repression against lower-class masses at society's base.

Critique on State Formation Processes

Contributions Beyond Traditional Views

A critique presented highlights additional agents influencing these dynamics beyond traditional views—specifically new mercantile capitalists disrupting established structures.

Capital Production Dynamics

The Evolution of Capitalism and the Role of Financial Agents

Expansion of Trade and Capital Concentration

The surge in commercial activities during this period is linked to the expansion of long-distance trade routes, particularly through overseas exploration and terrestrial connections among European nations.

Financial agents from high finance are responsible for capital accumulation, primarily within European banking houses, reflecting a concentration of wealth during commercial circulation.

Distinct Agents in Capitalism

The growth in production, commerce, and finance has led to the emergence of distinct agents within capitalism, organizing these elements in mercantile terms.

Rise of High Bourgeoisie

A high bourgeoisie class emerges closely tied to absolutist state bureaucracy, leveraging public debt instruments to align political processes with their interests—an advantage not available to the middle or lower bourgeoisie.

Revolutionary Changes and Political Dominance

Revolutionary movements in the 18th century mark a shift towards democratic governance; however, it is the high finance that supports state endeavors like navigation and wars typical of modern absolutist states.

Transition from Feudalism to Capitalism

Marx's perspective highlights that while serfdom ended, remnants of feudal dominance persisted. The aristocracy remained influential despite new capitalist merchants emerging during this transition.

Transformation of Power Structures

Centralization of State Power

With the decline of feudal lords' power due to serfdom's end, there is a shift towards centralized military authority under absolutist states using modern bureaucratic tools for class power reconfiguration.

Fiscal Policies and Nobility Control

Fiscal policies aimed at expropriating merchant activities serve to maintain noble control over peasant classes amidst evolving economic structures.

Social Class Dynamics

The social division reflects an aristocracy viewed as parasitic on both peasant labor and mercantile activities. This dynamic aligns with Nobre Telias' views on civilizational processes affecting nobility and bourgeois relations.

Understanding Social Stratification

Staments vs. Social Classes

"Estamentos sociais" refers to societal conditions determined by birth status; contrastingly, social classes allow movement based on individual roles within labor divisions.

Birth Privileges in Feudal Society

In a feudal society, one's birth determines privileges or lack thereof—highlighting stark divides between nobles enjoying rights versus commoners facing oppression.

Evolving Class Interactions

According to Nobre Telias, notable relaxation among social estates allowed for mobility between classes—leading to bourgeois ascension through purchasing noble titles.

Cultural Shifts Among Aristocracy

Integration into Mercantile Activities

Some members of the nobility began engaging in commerce leading to a relative 'bourgeoisification' within their ranks due to financial interdependence with state mechanisms.

Social Etiquette Developments

The rise of bourgeois individuals claiming noble status prompted aristocratic backlash manifesting as social etiquette systems designed to preserve traditional noble legitimacy against perceived vulgarity from wealth-acquired privileges.

Historical Reversals: Aristocracy vs. Bourgeoisie

Economic Gains Amidst Political Losses

The Dynamics of Class Power and State Formation

The Role of Capital Agents in Absolutism

Changes primarily affect capital agents, who are under pressure from parasitic forces entrenched in the absolutist state and its bureaucratic machinery.

Nobility's Class Power Restructuring

The nobility's social power is restructured to align with state machinery, ensuring their interests are safeguarded through direct and indirect control over legal frameworks during this period of absolutism.

Aristocratic Domination and Peasant Exploitation

Increased coordination enhances the state's ability to maintain aristocratic dominance, subjecting both servile and non-servile peasantry to new forms of capitalist dependency and exploitation.

Tensions Between Nobility and Bourgeoisie

There exists a primary tension between entrenched nobility (as state bureaucracy) and bourgeois activities, which hinders the advancement of productive forces until political rupture allows for full class domination by the bourgeoisie.

Emergence of Merchant Bourgeoisie

The Dynamics of Modern State Formation

Economic Relationships and Capital Circulation

The relationship between the environment and commercial activities is crucial for understanding the circulation of goods and capital.

Impact on Modern States

This dynamic contributes to the formation of modern states, highlighting a condition of relative freedom expressed in contemporary contexts.

Pre-Capitalist Urban Growth

During Europe's economic depression, pre-capitalist cities grew through urban industries, particularly in iron ore, paper production, and textiles, despite state interference.

Technological Advancements and Production Factors

A recombination of production factors occurred due to urban technical advancements, marking a transition from medieval structures towards modern objectives.

Cultural Techniques of the Renaissance

Five key cultural techniques emerged during the European Renaissance in the late 15th century that ended agrarian depression:

Discovery of silver extraction from copper ore revitalized mining across Central Europe.

The surge in coin production linked to maritime expansion and colonial systems.

Development of bronze cannons influenced warfare and state formation.

Invention of movable type printing by Gutenberg facilitated social transformations like the Protestant Reformation.

Construction of three-masted galleons enabled ocean navigation leading to overseas conquests.

Rise of Absolutism Amidst Crisis

The rise of absolutist states coincided with deepening medieval crises; notable examples include Louis XIV's France and Spain under Ferdinand and Isabella.

Feudal Order vs. Bourgeois Ascendancy

A general regrouping against peasantry followed feudal dissolution; this was shaped by rising merchant bourgeoisie leading towards pre-industrial manufacturing evolution.

Defining Characteristics of Western Absolutism

According to Perry Anderson, Western absolutism reflects:

Persistence of feudal political order alongside societal bourgeoisification.

The Rise of Peasant Revolts and the Influence of Roman Law

Peasant Revolts and Economic Pressures

The constant threat of peasant uprisings against feudal oppression is noted, highlighting a widespread revolt among peasants across Europe.

This period also marks a significant revival of Roman law, which plays a crucial role in shaping societal structures.

The Role of Nobility and Bourgeoisie

The political power of the nobility is redefined within the modern state’s administrative framework, driven by bourgeois demands for clear property definitions.

The decline of feudal hegemony is linked to liberal revolutions that lead to the establishment of capitalist states.

Absolutism and Political Legitimacy

Absolutism emerges not only as a legal-political structure but also as an ideological repertoire justifying concentrated sovereign power.

Thomas Hobbes' contributions are highlighted as pivotal in defending absolutism amidst rising liberal ideas that would challenge it.

Hobbes’ Leviathan: Foundations of Political Thought

Historical Context and Revolutionary Impact

Hobbes' theories are contextualized within major historical events from the English Revolution to the French Revolution, culminating in 1815 with Napoleon's defeat.

Nature of Power According to Hobbes

In "Leviathan," Hobbes discusses the inseparability of political and religious power, asserting that political authority derives its legitimacy from divine sanction.

State of Nature vs. Civil Society

A critical examination occurs regarding human nature in its natural state versus organized society, emphasizing social contracts as foundational for civil governance.

Human Condition in Absence of State

Hobbes describes humans in their natural state as miserable and conflict-prone due to inherent needs exceeding what nature can provide.

Competition and Conflict

Human Condition and the Leviathan

The Nature of Humanity and Power

The speaker argues that human conditions are inherently characterized by a struggle for power, where there is always a "strongest" among the strong.

A biblical allegory from the Book of Job is referenced, introducing the concept of a "teratological figure," specifically the Leviathan, which symbolizes monstrous power.

The origin of this concept is traced back to Babylonian mythology, particularly Tiamat, suggesting deep historical roots in understanding human conflict and authority.

The discussion highlights a social contract where individuals relinquish their freedom in exchange for state protection, indicating a shift from personal conflict to societal order.