Enlightened Absolutism

Enlightened Absolutism Overview Philosophes believed in natural rights Equality before the law Freedom of religious worship Freedom of speech and press Right to assemble Right to hold property In order for these natural rights to be established, philosophes believed people needed to be ruled by an enlightened ruler

Enlightened Absolutism Overview An enlightened ruler must: Foster the arts, sciences, and education Obey the laws and enforce them fairly Overcome personal interests Enact reforms Use their power for the good of the people In response to these ideas, a new type of monarch emerged in the late 18th century…

Enlightened Absolutism Overview …Enlightened Absolutism (or Despotism) Term used to describe: Absolute monarchs (rulers) who were influenced by the Age of Enlightenment “Enlightened despots” 18th century monarchs who, without renouncing their own absolute authority, adopted Enlightenment ideals of rationalism, progress, and tolerance

Frederick II, the Great Prussia King of Prussia (r. 1740-1786) Well-versed in Enlightenment thought Invited Voltaire to live at his court for several years Believed the king was the “first servant of the state”

Frederick II, the Great Prussia Through the Pragmatic Sanction, Charles VI secured the Habsburg domains for his daughter, Maria Theresa, upon his death Frederick immediately invaded her rich province of Silesia and acquired more territory for Prussia War of Austrian Succession and the Seven Years’ War

Frederick II, the Great Prussia For a time, he seemed willing to make enlightened reforms Granted religious toleration Improved the legal system Abolished the use of torture Promoted the reconstruction of agriculture and industry Promoted education and improved schools

Frederick II, the Great Prussia However, he kept Prussia’s rigid social and political structure intact Extended the privileges of the nobility High taxes fell on peasants and townspeople Serfdom remained Promoted cameralism → view that the monarchy was the best form of government and that all elements of society should serve the monarch

Catherine the Great Russia Empress of Russia (r.1762-1796) Wife of Peter III → had him murdered Considered herself a child of the Enlightenment Mostly treated philosophes kindly in order to gain a positive reputation Voltaire and Diderot

Catherine the Great Russia Attempts at reform: Imported western culture into Russia Tried to improve education Restricted the practice of torture Allowed limited religious toleration Acquired more territory for Russia

Catherine the Great Russia After Pugachev’s rebellion, she stopped making reforms → she knew her success depended on the support of the nobility Guaranteed the rights and privileges of the nobility Exempted the nobility from taxes and state service Favored the landed nobility → full control over serfs

Joseph II Austria Emperor of Austria (r. 1780-1790) Son of Maria Theresa Believed in the need to sweep away anything standing in the path of reason Sincerely wished to improve the lives of people Perhaps the greatest of the enlightened monarchs in terms of reforms, but among the least effective

Joseph II Austria Far-reaching reform program: Abolished serfdom, feudal dues, and forced labor (robot) Granted peasants personal freedoms Revoked the death penalty and torture Established the principle of equality of all before the law Abolished many tariffs Taxed everyone, regardless of social status Freedom of religion and press (to a degree) Reduced the influence of the church Expanded state schools Established hospitals, poorhouses, and orphanages Integrated Jews into society

Joseph II Austria Altogether, issued 6,000 decrees and 11,000 laws in his effort to transform the nation Proved to be too overwhelming for Austria Alienated the nobility by taxing them and freeing the serfs Alienated the church by placing it under royal control and enforcing religious toleration Made the serfs unhappy (could not handle all of the drastic change) His brother, Leopold II, was forced to reverse many of the reforms

Enlightened Absolutists Conclusion Of these rulers, only Joseph II sought truly radical changes based on Enlightenment ideas Both Frederick II and Catherine liked to talk about Enlightenment reforms, and even attempted some Neither seemed seriously affected by Enlightenment thought Necessities of maintaining the existing system took precedence over reform All used the ideas of the Enlightenment to strengthen their grasp on power