Joseph II's Absolutism As An Enlightened Despot

Historians often refer to absolutist monarch Joseph II of Austria (1741-1790) as an enlightened despot due to the numerous social reforms he instilled during his reign. Joseph commissioned countless works of propaganda that showcase his enlightened ideology, yet it is through one of these images that one can also see the ironies that invalidate the possibility of an effective enlightened despot. The authority of a despot relies on his ability to secure his own power, while a true Enlightenment thinker would prioritize the rights of the people over their own. Joseph II attempted to balance these two concepts, but because they are so inherently contradictory, he could never fully dedicate himself to either cause, rendering many of his policies ineffective. …show more content…
This is symbolic of the many ways he attempted to centralize his own power by limiting the control of the aristocrats, the most outrageous being his policy of equal taxation. Joseph had hoped that the new taxes would disable the aristocrats, while their money would then fund the state and therefore, also advance his own power. However, Joseph also wished to promote the rights of his people, and without support from the aristocrats, he had little way to secure the liberties of the peasants. Specifically, he needed “the landlords to change land leases, so that peasants could more easily inherit land” (Kagan 541). He could not fully disable the aristocrats, which consequently empowered them to reject this proposal. While Joseph depended on placing limitations on the aristocracy to secure his despotic rule, the duty he felt to actualize enlightenment principles not only undermined his plan to weaken the nobility, but ultimately strengthened their