It was seen throughout the 1700's many rulers wanted to be considered an enlightened ruler. Out of the many who wanted to be considered only a few can truly be considered truly enlightened rulers. An enlightened ruler would be considered a ruler who not only supported and spoke of enlightened ideas, but implement the ideas. There was a range of the level of enlightened rulers during the 1700’s, which can be seen with rulers like Joseph II and Catherine the Great. These rulers can be considered complete opposites in the idea of the enlightened ruling.
Joseph II can be considered the best example of an enlightened monarch in Europe during the 1700’s. Joseph II was someone who wanted to promote education, toleration of other religions, and wanted to be an advocate of the free press. During his rule, Joseph II enacted many reforms, through royal decrees, which were all seen as overwhelming due to the immense number. Joseph II abolished serfdom during his rule and promoted new forms of agriculture and production for the economy. With all of the reforms made, it was very confusing and very hard to follow what was happening, with the succeeding rule, all reforms were reversed, No progress was made, but people saw what a true enlightened ruler was like.
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Frederick II of Prussia can more be considered an enlightened absolutist, who often called himself the "first servant of the state." Throughout his rule, he attempted to reform the legal system, though the reforms were very limited, in Prussia by ending capital punishment. Along with the ending of capital punishment he favored the idea of religious toleration and agricultural reforms. Even though the ideas were favored, Frederick II of Prussia did not follow through with them. During the rule of Frederick II of Prussia the military grew at a rapid amount, and by the end of his rule, the military was at around 200,000
“Leslie Stephen described it (the eighteenth century) as ‘the century of cold common sense and growing toleration and of steady social and industrial improvement.’” Before the Enlightenment, the belief of the Divine Right of Kings was central to every nation. Kings were believed to be chosen by God and answerable to the divine alone, citizens could not question their King because in theory they would be questioning God. During the eighteenth century there was a shift in the public opinion of nobles and lords. Philosophes, or critics, began to openly object the way the government ran the people, even poking fun at the choices made. Kings were no longer feared. As people turned away from the restraints of government, a rise in individualism formed. ...
The Enlightenment political thought helped the Glorious Revolution of 1688 in England. James II wanted to strengthen his royal power alone and weaken the militia while raising his own army. The Enlightenment helped the English opponent to come forth and overthrow their king with the help of the Prince William of Orange and his wife Mary. They then reestablished the monarchy and accepted the Parliaments Bill of Rights. With the Enlightenment period, individuals helped get their words out and they learned to questions their ideals and beliefs. With the Glorious Revolution of 1688, the individuals were able to overthrown their king and establish the representative government and that a well-regulated militia under the locals control was best for everyone. The Enlightenment political thought helped the Glorious Revolution to establish a representative government and take control on what’s best for
The Enlightenment was a major turning point in history. Multiple ideas that were established during the Enlightenment were eventually utilized in many government systems. Although some people known as “Enlightened Despots” did not accept the ideas developed by people such as John Locke, Baron de Montesquieu, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Ultimately, the Enlightenment ideas showed that they were more powerful and were more significant than the power of the army.
Britain obtained Prussia as her ally, but you might ask, why? Surely you can’t fuel Frederick’s massive army any more? Pitt the Elder argued though that while true...
...overnment to guide them but not have absolute power and to rule with the consent of the governed (Locke). These ideals also influenced the revolution in France which jumpstarted their new government system. The Enlightenment had a long lasting impact on the world and without it the world would be a different place today.
A man/woman with an open mind and an enlightened soul. France needed a child of the enlightenment to sew its tattered flag. Napoleon Bonaparte was a child of the enlightenment. This was displayed in both his attitudes and policies as a result of enlightened religious ideas, political genius, and social reforms. Almost every ruler in history can be accused of having some kind of religious fanaticism.
The Age of Enlightenment was a European movement in the late 17th and 18th Centuries that highlighted the importance of reason, as well as a rejection of tradition. The Enlightenment originated in Western Europe in the late 17th Century through the works of philosophers and scientists. Such figures discussed the importance of critical intellect and rational inquiry while rejecting religion and superstition . In Russia, The Enlightenment also included a desire for modernization of Russian traditions. In addition to promoting westernization, the movement was especially concerned with the release of serfs. This, along with liberalism, was a very attractive crusade that many Russians leaders concurred. The Russian people, however, often resisted their leader’s attempts .
The Enlightenment period of the late 17-18th century was an Age of Reason, a period of high intellect and new ideas. Four key philosophers of the Enlightenment Period were John Locke , Voltaire, Adam Smith, and Mary Wollstonecraft . John Locke believed that if man attains freedom than his government can also live independently. Adam Smith’s ideas were that if an individual is economically successful then his / her economically will also succeed . Voltaires believes that a multitude of religion can result in a peaceful nation. Mary Wollstonecraft believed that in order to maintain happiness in society women had to be at the same level as men. According to the philosophers advancement of society can be attained through individual freedom in their society.
Frederick II, the Great, overcame the resource limitations within Prussia by mastering three aspects of the western way of war: the ability to finance war, possessing a highly disciplined military, and an aggressive mindset toward achieving quick decisive victory, which established Prussia as a major European power. Frederick II accomplished this feat while being surrounded by powerful neighbors that possessed larger populations, armies, and financial excess. His initial assessment on the state of his Prussian inheritance from his personal writings follows:
Of all the absolute rulers in European history, Louis XIV of France was the most powerful, and the best example because of his successes, being able to continue his complete control even after failures, his ability to be able to use France’s money in any way he wanted, such as the Place of Versailles, taking away the nobles power, and his ability to delegate impotant jobs to smart yet loyal people.
While the Enlightenment criticized monarchy governments, it influenced democratic forms of government. Without the Enlightenment and the help of France, the United States wouldn’t be what it is today.
Enlightened despotism is when there is an absolute ruler, in some cases a tyrant, who follows the principles of the Enlightenment through reforms. Permitting religious toleration, allowing freedom of the press and speech, and expanding education are a few main guidelines to being an enlightened despot. Napoleon I is often referred to as one of the greatest enlightened despots. Although, he did not follow the ideas of the enlightenment entirely, he managed his country in a way that he maintained complete authority as well as many of the gains of the French Revolution. Yes, Napoleon did want to do a few things for himself, but he also ruled for the majority in most cases, promoted government-funded education, and supported many other enlightened ideas.
Frederick the Great exploited the advantages of military evolutions and revolutions to develop a powerful nation-state, Prussia, through the exploitation of economic and social policies forced Prussia advantage of superiority and employed their society norms upon others. The implement of the infantry, cavalry, and artillery assisted with the revolutionized Prussia to military superiority through the delivery of lethal strikes and unwavering means to survive. In conjunction with economic and social policies, the incorporation of increased military professionalism fostered forces that were more disciplined and utilized tactics, enabling military evolutions and revolutions to become more innovated. As Parker stated, “Prussia was thus a state
The enlightenment was the growth of thought of European thinkers in the 1600’s. The spread of enlightenment was a result of the Scientific Revolution during the 1500’s and 1600’s. It resulted as a need to use reason to distribute human laws. It also came about from a need to solve social, political and economic problems.
The Enlightenment period, also known as The Age of Reason, was a period of social, religious, and political revolution throughout the 18th century which changed the thoughts of man during this “awakening” time. It was a liberation of ignorant thoughts, ideas, and actions that had broken away from the ignorant perception of how society was to be kept and obeyed thus giving little room for new ideas about the world. Puritan society found these new ideas of thought to be extremely radical in comparison to what they believed which was a belief of strong rational religion and morality. Enlightened society believed that the use of reason would be a catalyst of social change and had a demand of political representation thus resulting in a time in history where individualism was widely accepted amongst the new world. Puritan society believed strongly in myth, magic, and religious superstitions that was immensely used by the Puritans before democracy, capitalism, and the scientific revolution gave rise from the Enlightenment period.