THE TEST OF ‘DIVINE RIGHT’ (MARKET FOR RULE) Ely Harman The problem is that rule

THE TEST OF ‘DIVINE RIGHT’ (MARKET FOR RULE)

Ely Harman

The problem is that rule by divine right is a DESCRIPTIVE theory and not a PRESCRIPTIVE theory.

So yeah, if the sovereign can at once awe and inspire loyalty, then don’t challenge him. But if not, there is no reason not to.

You cannot know whether or not he has the divine mandate unless you put it to the test. The gods will show their mind if they are offered a choice.

Even a bad king may be a punishment for worse subjects, rather than merely a usurper whose fall shows the emptiness of his pretensions. But only the test can reveal the difference.

(Curt: King of the Hill is a market process.)