Monarchy

Our recent focus on obsessive interest in the royal lineage of Judah happens to coincide with what appears to be growing likelihood that there will soon be a succession to the crown of the United Kingdom. The link is to discussion by Paul Campos, but I'll give you mine.

The question arises as to why hereditary monarchy became the predominant form of the state from the neolithic until the 18th Century, and still persists in a few nations -- many of the Arab states, in particular. It has also been recreated in the ironically named Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Of course the British monarchy is now largely symbolic, but its powers remained substantive as late as the reign of Queen Victoria, although they had been eroding for centuries.

 

Why should dictatorial powers be presumed to adhere to the eldest son of the current ruler, with some possible variations on the theme? (E.g., no son so it goes to the daughter, as in Britain; or the monarch gets to pick a successor from among his sons if he doesn't favor the eldest, as in Saudi Arabia.) And why would this be so universal throughout history until quite recently, when it now appears quite absurd? (Then again, there's the example of George Bush I and George Bush II.) 

 

The best explanation I can come up with is that it's human nature to be ambitious for our children, and in a patriarchal male dominated society that ambition would largely adhere to sons. Since the typical state was ruled by an alliance between a priestly caste and warrior kings, the priests held up their half of the bargain by legitimizing the succession of the king's son. People are religiously indoctrinated from birth, so this became the prevailing assumption in most societies. 

 

I am not a British citizen so my opinion about whether the British monarchy should be abolished doesn't cut any ice. However, I do think it would be good for the U.S. because it would eliminate a ridiculous obsession that competes for attention with much more important matters; and might weaken our own cultural proclivity to assign inherited status to people. As for the present situation, I have nothing in particular against Her Majesty but the Prince of Wales definitely frosts my pumpkin. I would hope that shortly after he takes over, the British people will come to their senses and demote him from king to Upper Class Twit.