 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In Our Time
|
 |
|
 |
MISSED A PROGRAMME?
Go to the Listen Again page |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 Thursday 9.00-9.45am, repeated 9.30pm. |
|
|
|
Programme details |
Thursday 11 October 2007 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Audience reactions to this edition |
|
|
James Buchanan - Divine right of kings
I enjoyed listening as you navigated through the subject. Reading Thomas More's "Utopia" 1516, Raphael the sailor, describes how honesty elsewhere is thought of as "a low plebeian vertue, far beneath the dignity of royalty", he goes on to say there are two kinds of honesty the second "reserved for Kings" allows them to do exactly what they like.
Michael Peacock, The Divine Right of Kings.
Given that you made two separate references to Macbeth; and that your contributors stated several times that if a ruler was seen to give way to excess in his private life, this might be an indication that his claim to divine authority was false, I'm surprised that you did not refer to the passage in Macbeth (Act 4 Scene 3) where Malcolm admits that 'there's no bottom, none, in my voluptuousness.' And MacDuff replies: Boundless intemperance/In nature is a tyranny. It hath been/Th'untimely emptying of the happy throne/And fall of many kings.
From In Our Time - a reply to Nic
Dear Nic, the evening repeat was indeed changed from the morning version. The evening programme is a full fifteen minutes shorter than the original broadcast which means losing quite alot of material. We generally edit out stumbles and pauses in an attempt to keep in as much substantial conversation as possible. Hence the edit of the programme's opening. Kind regards
Nic - Divine Right of Kings - 2 different versions
forgive me if i've missed something but i was listening to the edition on thursday morning and there were some very uncharacteristic features during the opening and later in the interview. to be honest i was struggling to believe what i was hearing at times. that night i heard the "repeat" - a complete re-edit had taken place with no mention of the fact - one might think one had completely dreamt up the earlier version - is the BBC mucking about with the audience here?
Patrick re Divine Right of Kings Episode
Dear Melvyn,I was surprised that, despite spending some considerable time on pre-reformation ideas related to the subject, no one mentioned the 9th century theory of "Caesaro-papism". This claimed that ALL power on earth had been given by God to the successor of Peter (i.e. the Pope) and that he delegated secular power to kings. Most famously, on Christmas Day 800, to Charlemagne. Once the link with Rome went, the "chain of cammand" had also gone, so the monarchs then claimed their power came directly from God -- and hence the theory of Divine Right of Kings (often exercised despotically). The added difficulty was that there was no system of "checks and balances" whereby they could be deposed or held to account. Good luck with your cold -- and thanks for your interesting programmes!Patrick
qd: Divine Right of Kings
The views of protestants and catholics were well explained but can anyone say how the doctrine came to be developed in pre-revolutionary Russia?
Peter Bolt; Kings (Devine Right of)
Superb; The breadth and depth are beyond reproach.How I wish I had paid more attention at school.
brian baker (windlesham)divine right of kings
Brilliant exposition of this subject-Justine Champion riveting understanding-Royal Holloway College'sfounder must be proud of his legacy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In Our Time With Melvyn Bragg Find out how to subscribe to this programme's podcast |
|
|
