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Reading Guide

Jean Domat: On Absolute Monarchy

[Note: Reading Guides are meant as review aids for a particular text. They do indicate some of the questions a text raises.]

Answer the questions below.

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Jean Domat, Social Order and Absolute Monarchy,

  1. Who was Jean Domat? What were his qualifications for writing? Who was he writing for? What kind (genre) of literature is this?
  2. What imagery provides the basis for Domat's theorizing?
  3. How does Domat prove that government is necessary?
  4. Who does Domat mean by the `sovereign'? What is the basis of his/her power?
  5. Are there any indications in the text that world might be less perfectly ordered than Domat indicates?

Know the Meanings of these phrases/words