Academic Review

 

Historical Studies (Chinese Edition)

No.4, 2018

 

The Turn in the Research Approach to the French Absolute Monarchy (Abstract)

 

Zhang Chi

 

France’s absolute monarchy is not only an important stage in the transformation of modern states from the seventeenth century on, but also a topical issue for academic research. Western research on this subject has undergone a shift from “state-centered theory” to “social cooperation theory.”The former emphasizes the absolute monarchy’s changes to and control of a hierarchical society, highlighting the state’s capabilities; the latter, which attaches importance to the involvement and participation of social forces in nation building, considers the establishment of absolute monarchy to be the product of negotiation and compromise between the state and society. This research turn reexamines such issues as the provincial Estates-General, intendants, national finance, the military, etc., and redefines the social character and historical role of the absolute monarchy. Future research on this subject should not only consider the dynamic role of the absolute monarchy, that is, the role of the state in relation to society, but also the relationship between the state and society, or “a state deeply embedded in society.”