Robert Filmer was an English political theorist born around 1588. He is best known for his work "Patriarcha," published in 1680, where he argued for the divine right of kings. Filmer believed that monarchs derived their authority from God and that subjects had a duty to obey them. His ideas were influential during the period of the English Civil War. Filmer's theories were often challenged by other thinkers, notably John Locke, who advocated for the rights of individuals and the concept of government by consent. Despite this, Filmer's writings contributed to the ongoing debate about political authority and the nature of governance in early modern England.