tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8237917339730792916.post1906495471277126607..comments2023-11-18T11:20:35.439-05:00Comments on Johnny Pez: Sobel Wiki: Sobel and the feudal spiritJohnny Pezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07430884010621619176noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8237917339730792916.post-64595038850907625662013-01-06T16:26:02.353-05:002013-01-06T16:26:02.353-05:00I remember Quonster. The weirdest thing about his...I remember Quonster. The weirdest thing about his obsession with "feudalism" is that <i>actual</i> feudalism is very much <i>opposed</i> to absolute monarchy -- feudalism historically originated when the fall of the Roman Empire produced barbarian kings who invested themselves with the divine-monarchial trappings of the Late Western Emperors but in fact had only very limited and chaotically-enforced authority over followers who like as not had either elected them or installed them to office in civil wars. "Feudalism" -- not called such until <i>after</i> its decline -- was the weird mixture of contract, force and threat of force used to enable medieval kingdoms to operate given the huge gap between the unlimited claims of the monarchs and the highly-limited nature of their power. What's interesting is that the medieval concept of kingship and of authority in general became very much <i>limited</i> by the proviso that it be exercised "justly" and "rightfully," which meant that the kings, dukes, counts, barons etc. all acknowledged <i>mutual obligations</i> with their overlords and vassals. Nothing could be more alien to the spirit of absolute authoritarianism worshipped by the Quonster!Jordan179https://www.blogger.com/profile/04175992431854812417noreply@blogger.com