ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Robert Filmer

Robert Filmer was a man who lived a long, long time ago in England, over 300 years ago! He was a very important thinker and writer, and he wrote a lot about the idea of kings and rulers.

You know how mommy and daddy are in charge of the house, right? Well, Robert Filmer believed that if a king was in charge of a country, it was because he was chosen by God. He believed that the king was like a daddy for the whole country, and that everyone should obey him.

Some people agreed with Filmer, and some didn't. They had arguments about it for a long time! Some people said that the king shouldn't have all the power, and that everyone should have a say in how things were run. But other people said that the king was the number one boss, and everyone should just do what he said.

Even though Robert Filmer is no longer alive, his ideas about kings and rulers have continued to be important to this day. People who want a strong leader often use his ideas to argue for their point of view, while people who believe in democracy say that we should have a say in how we are ruled, and not just obey one person.