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Examples Of Enlightened Absolutism In The 18th Century

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Enlightened Despotism in 18th Century Eastern Europe: Not So Enlightened The 1700s saw the advent of enlightened absolutism, a form of government in which monarchs, including Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia (1762-1796); Joseph II, King of Austria (1741-1790); and Frederick the Great, King of Prussia (1740-1786), sought to govern based on the concepts of the French philosophes, especially those of Diderot and Voltaire. Although Eastern European absolutists of this era studied enlightened ideas, they often failed to implement many substantial reform changes within their realms. While the reigns of Catherine the Great, Frederick the Great, and Joseph II brought about some success in education, economic development, religious toleration, and legal justice, most of their policies were not for the good of their people. Joseph II of Austria’s policies regarding religious toleration were affected by the philosophes. Joseph allowed Jews to worship in Austria. This may have been a positive step, but it fits within the argument presented because Jews had to pay new special taxes for this “privilege.” Joseph ceased the custom of owning …show more content…

Catherine read Voltaire, as well as Diderot, and when Diderot desperately needed money to get out of debt, Catherine brought his expensive library and then generously lent it back to him. Catherine studied the idea of granting a constitution, but in the end, she and her fellow absolutists did not want to do anything that would place real restrictions on their power. Catherine did nothing to grant rights to religious minorities in Russia. Enlightened despotism monarchs found that the writings of the philosophes on economics and education could mesh with their own desires to enhance the power of their states within the community of European nations and their personal author within the

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