Question

The term divine right is best defined as a

Answer 1

The divine right is a doctrine claiming a monarch's right to rule comes directly from God, making them unaccountable to earthly powers and justifying their absolute authority.

Step-by-step explanation:

The term divine right is best defined as the political and religious doctrine that asserts a monarch's legitimacy and right to rule derives directly from the will of God. Not accountable to earthly authority, such as the will of the people, the aristocracy, or any government, a king's power is absolute, as they are considered God's chosen ruler. This concept of legitimacy implies that only God can judge an unjust king, and any effort to challenge the king's authority would be seen as going against the will of God. Historically, the divine right of kings has been used by monarchs to justify their absolute rule.

Answer 2

Pre-enlightenment monarchs believed that they were God's actor upon earth, and so could more or less do as they please, and were above the rule of law (if applicable). This right, granted by God, allowed them to be in a position of unlimited and unchecked power.

This was dissolved more or less during the Enlightenment, either via the weakening of religiosity, monarchs having their powers checked by government through reform and a shift towards enlightened monarchs relying on philosophy, not religion to define their ruling style