From The Age of Absolutism to Age of Enlightened Absolutism

Or objectivism, determinism, fundamentalism, universalism, fatalism etcetera.

I won't say that the above notions are similar, BUT they share a common trait: that is conservatism. Since the ancient 'animist' Aristotle seen as 'mental' superiority ('aristocracy' as result of considering 'heavenly 'mind' superior to 'animal body' in mind-body split). Illusions like 'Mental Superiority' evaporate 'at once' during 'Mental Recession', when seriously challenged by common sense.
It's of no importance to know if the illusions are 'right' (capitalism), 'left (communism), or a compromise and then called 'social democracy'.

By the way the notion 'animism' points at the practice of running a slavefarm. Considering slaves as human animals. Interesting to see that 21st century capitalist and communist countries are still run as united slavefarms. And just like in Roman times pretend that slavebosses and slaves are free.

Important to know is that the basis of absolutism in any shape is feeling superior. There's nothing essentially wrong with FEELING superior, only when that illusion results in ACTING with superior terror when 'slaves'/civilians fight for freedom, then 'superiority' ends in genocide (fascism).

My view

My view of absolutism: Egoism (= engineering CONFLICT between MY objective rational TRUTH and THEIR subjective irrationality. And interpreting sense data in conflict-way. The 'thinker' Aristotle in ancient Greece started this 'animist' split of reality in WE (the humans) THEY the animals (barbarians). As way to give sense to human-slave farmery (exploiting human slaves as in the 21st century farmers keep dairy cows). Over time things got more subtile but not really changed. If there is one thing that brain neurology since then taught us, then it is: knowledge extracted from sense data with logic can be interpreted in limitless ways. 'Barbarians' may appear to be very 'human, and someone like Alexander the 'Great' (with tutor Aristotle) suddenly is recognized as an animal-like butcher. Because of Enlightenment end 17th century people in power came up with the concept autocracy, or rule by a single person. This person was not to be questioned or disobeyed; this became known as "absolutism," since the monarch ruled with "absolute" power, that is, unshared power. In Germany that resulted in the 'madness' Nazism ("Sieg Heil"), with Hitler as "Fuhrer". In the United States that resulted in 'presidentanism': God is Great, and The President is his messenger. In Zimbabwe in: Mugabe is Allmighty, death to his opponents The central quite Roman Christian argument of the often mentioned Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) was that all humans are driven by only two impulses: (1) fear of death and (2) desire for 'power'. The abstract notion 'power' without loss of content Hobbes might have substituted with 'egoism'. According to Hobbes absolute power in some shape was required to keep cultures together. Although power was mostly used to terrorize subcultures that protested against exploitation Enlightenment lead afterward to "Enlightened Absolutism." But essentially the game of power didn't change ..., old tricks in new dress.

Progress takes DECISIONS

Conservatism is necessary for the continuous part in progress, but as technicians know continuity is a formal fantasy AND awfully restricted. MANY ages ago the Neanderthals in Europe were masters in semi-continuous improving of existing skills, but they were removed by humans that added to continuity the aspect of active fantasy.

With only traditionalism since then the Neanderthals would not have essentially changed. But in practice ages ago during their extinction they didn't even know what happened.

So humans added active fantasy or brainwaves to walk new roads. I heard one example that is really explanatory: Neanderthals probably had words for different flowers and people in their group. But they would never have come up with a sentence like My daughter looks like a flower. Connecting concepts is typically humanoid.
But also developing 'lying' into divine fighting art is humanoid.
And beginning 21st century life on earth is being suffocated by 'lies'.
Evolution rebalances with RECESSION.

It's of course positive that some people stress the conservative qualities of Neanderthals. Because these were in some aspects highly advanced and more skilled than humans. BUT these people should also realize that ALONE this what no enough for Neanderthals to keep humans away. They lacked fantasy to adept in a relatively short time.
The humanoid Neanderthals of today might be found in the USA. Different from ancient Neanderthals they are quite agressive. The US was formed by annihilating some hundred Red Indian nations. Like the UK colonizing continental Europe and killing the local inhabitants (MANY millions) in concentration camps (reservates). (Zarah2nd: Well, ... the British invented concentration camps in South Africa).
The (nice) people in that the US excel in skill and don't bother much about other than own ethics. Their favorite passtime is attacking 'strange' ethics with the power thinking of Cold Wars (Wars on Terrorism). They think to be able to hide behind individualism (as expressed in capitalism).
A much more creative kind of human is emerging in Asia.

To presume an everything explaining cause behind reality as done by fashionable 21th century 'absolutists' (US, Russia, Communist China, ...) is pitifull arrogance. Showing great skill in 'rational' puzzling style 'Science' as used in this paradigm.
Still this is waving around with a 'rational' snapshot of reality, pretending not only to present all of 'rational' reality but all of THE reality. Considering Georgian freedom fighters, Iraqee freedom fighters, Tibetan freedom fighters, ...., as terrorists.

Absolutism or God-thinking is a powerful hallucination. Often 'prejudice' is referred to as 'experience'. It takes ritual CHANGE to leave THE local reality.
Why not use the start of the 21st century to remove (in a paradigm shift) agressive communism and even more agressive capitalism and practice uniting peace rituals?

Zarah2nd, August 2003, and updated till present