The sovereign is not the direct expression of my will or your will, but rather an abstraction from my natural desire to rule myself.

君主制不是对我的，或者你的意志的直接表达,不如说是一种抽象概念,是源于自己统治自己的自然愿望。

耶鲁公开课 - 政治哲学导论课程节选

So, they make their personal or dynastic rule absolute based on loyalty to them as individuals and not to the state as some sort of abstraction.

所以,君主将个人或者王朝的绝对统治,建立在［民众］对其统治家族的忠诚,而非国家这样的抽象概念上

耶鲁公开课 - 欧洲文明课程节选