Patriarcha

Patriarcha
Public domain · source
Name	Patriarcha
Author	Robert Filmer
Country	Kingdom of England
Language	Early Modern English
Subject	Political philosophy, Divine right of kings
Published	1680 (posthumously)

Patriarcha. Patriarcha is a seminal 17th-century treatise of political philosophy authored by the English theorist Robert Filmer. Published posthumously in 1680, it became a central text in the defense of absolute monarchy and the divine right of kings, arguing that political authority is derived directly from the patriarchal power of the biblical Adam. The work was written during a period of intense constitutional conflict in England, notably the English Civil War and the subsequent Exclusion Crisis, positioning it as a foundational justification for Stuart absolutism against the rising tide of contract theory and republicanism.

Historical context and authorship

The treatise was composed by Robert Filmer, a Kentish gentleman and ardent supporter of King Charles I, likely during the tumultuous years of the 1630s and 1640s. Its arguments were forged in the crucible of the English Civil War, a conflict that pitted the Royalists against the Parliament of England and ultimately led to the execution of Charles I in 1649. Filmer’s manuscript circulated privately for decades before being published in 1680 by the Tory faction, strategically timed to support the succession of James, Duke of York, during the Exclusion Crisis. This period saw fierce debate over the legitimacy of monarchical power, with Filmer’s work providing intellectual ammunition against Whig opponents like Algernon Sidney and proponents of popular sovereignty.

Core arguments and political theory

Filmer’s core thesis, articulated in Patriarcha, is a direct refutation of emerging social contract theories proposed by thinkers such as Hugo Grotius and later John Locke. He posits that all political authority originates not from a contract between the governed and a ruler, but from the God-given, absolute power of the father in a family, tracing an unbroken line of descent from the first father, Adam. This patriarchalism asserts that kings are the natural heirs to Adam’s paternal dominion, making their power absolute, indivisible, and derived directly from God. Consequently, Filmer rejected the notion that Parliament or the people held any inherent right to resist or depose a monarch, viewing such ideas as seditious challenges to the natural and scriptural order established at the Garden of Eden.

Reception and influence

Upon its publication, Patriarcha was immediately championed by prominent Tory and Anglican figures, including Sir Roger L'Estrange and John Nalson, who saw it as a powerful ideological weapon against exclusionist policies. It became a cornerstone of Stuart propaganda, justifying the authoritarian policies of Charles II and James II. The treatise’s influence was so significant that it provoked direct and systematic refutations from the leading liberal thinkers of the age, most notably John Locke in his First Treatise of Government, and Algernon Sidney in his Discourses Concerning Government. Through these critiques, Patriarcha inadvertently helped to define and sharpen the arguments for constitutional monarchy and natural rights that would underpin the Glorious Revolution of 1688.

Criticisms and legacy

The primary criticisms of Patriarcha focused on its historical inaccuracies and logical inconsistencies, as dismantled by John Locke who argued that Filmer’s model provided no clear method for identifying Adam’s true heir in the contemporary world. Later philosophers, including David Hume and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, further undermined its foundations by challenging the conflation of familial and political authority. Despite being largely discredited as a viable political theory, its legacy endures as a crucial artifact of absolutist thought; it provides essential context for understanding the ideological battles of the 17th century and serves as the definitive foil against which modern liberalism and democratic theory were articulated. The work remains a key subject of study for historians of ideas examining the Enlightenment, the development of Western philosophy, and the intellectual origins of the American Revolution.

Category:1680 books Category:Political philosophy literature Category:Monarchism