For many historians, the Renaissance marked the starting point of the modern era. With the emergence of new ideas, beliefs, and practices, the Renaissance undoubtedly paved the way for the initiation of new political reforms and progress among European nations. Indeed, many historical events since the early modern period have influenced political thought, not only causing transformations in the structure of politics and government in Western civilization, but also creating new justifications for how and why political power should be distributed . From the Middle Ages to the 17th century, absolute monarchies and the theory of the divine right of kings became the dominant political ideology of this time. Therefore, most political thinkers held that the ruler derived power from God and had a religious obligation to rule in accordance with God's laws. Furthermore, some absolutists also believed that the ruler was superior to all others and that citizens had no right to disobey or question the king's authority due to his divine right (19). Clearly, this form of political thought and government has left the majority of citizens with little, if any, political and personal autonomy. However, after the growing influence of Renaissance thought, some political thinkers moved away from religious obedience and acquired a secular voice. Yet despite this, many of these new political thinkers continued to support and defend absolute monarchies in that period. For example, Thomas Hobbes, a British philosopher and political theorist, argued that absolutism was the most logical form of government and that only the unlimited power of a sovereign could contain human passions that disrupt social order and threaten civil life ( 21). Furthermore... middle of paper... and French Revolution, these dictators sought to protect their ideals in order to strengthen and create stability for their political beliefs and their nation, however, in attempting to do this, they created an even more unstable environment. From the absolute monarchies of the early modern era to the totalitarian regimes of the twentieth century, Western civilization has undergone major transformations in political thought and action. Indeed, political thought has been influenced by many historical events over time, which in turn have influenced the structure of previous and current forms of government. With the emergence of different historical events, new ideas and beliefs emerged regarding how power should be distributed and how power could be legitimized by certain factors, such as religion, nationalism, and the protection of one's superiority and strength state..