despotism

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despotism

despotism government by an absolute ruler unchecked by effective constitutional limits to his power. In Greek usage, a despot was ruler of a household and master of its slaves. The title was applied to gods and, by derivation, to the quasi-divine rulers of the Middle East. In the Byzantine Empire, despot was a title of honor of the emperors and their relatives and of vassal princes of the tributary states and dignitaries of the Eastern Church. The Ottoman Empire perpetuated the term as applied to church officials and territorial princes. The 18th-century doctrine of the Enlightenment influenced such absolutist rulers as Frederick the Great of Prussia, Catherine II of Russia, and Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II toward a rule of beneficent intent known as benevolent despotism. However, despot is now a term of opprobrium.

Bibliography: See L. Krieger, ed., An Essay on the Theory of Enlightened Despotism (1975); K. A. Wittfogel, Oriental Despotism: A Comparative Study of Total Power (1981); F. J. Maitland, The Theory of Despotism in Germany (1988).

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"despotism." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 22 Dec. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"despotism." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (December 22, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-despotis.html

"despotism." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Retrieved December 22, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-despotis.html

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despotism

A Dictionary of Sociology | 1998 | | Â© A Dictionary of Sociology 1998, originally published by Oxford University Press 1998. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

despotism See ABSOLUTISM.

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GORDON MARSHALL. "despotism." A Dictionary of Sociology. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 22 Dec. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

GORDON MARSHALL. "despotism." A Dictionary of Sociology. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. (December 22, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O88-despotism.html

GORDON MARSHALL. "despotism." A Dictionary of Sociology. 1998. Retrieved December 22, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O88-despotism.html

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despot

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | | Â© The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology 1996, originally published by Oxford University Press 1996. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

despot lord, prince, ruler XVI; absolute ruler, tyrant XVIII. — F. despote, earlier †despot — medL. despota — Gr. despótēs master, lord.
So despotic XVII, despotism XVIII.

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T. F. HOAD. "despot." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 22 Dec. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "despot." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (December 22, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-despot.html

T. F. HOAD. "despot." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved December 22, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-despot.html

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