Inspired by the Age of Enlightenment, which began during the 16th century, certain monarchs chose to adopt certain aspects of the ideology of the Enlightenment. These aspects were mostly found in areas such as legal, social, and educational reforms. These monarchs took on the name “enlightened despots”, an example of these despots being Frederick the Great of Prussia and Joseph II of the Holy Roman Empire. However, despite being dubbed “enlightened”, Frederick and Joseph only enacted enlightened ideas to an extent. While they did enact some enlightened reforms, especially in education and religious toleration, they showed despotic (tyrannical) thinking in their economic policies.
First, both Frederick the Great and Joseph II made improvements …show more content…
They both had gone against the laissez-faire ideology, a concept created by Adam Smith. Frederick placed taxes on Jews and tried to exclude them from the professions and civil service. He also did not abolish serfdom, an important factor to Prussia’s economy, an old-age practice that had dwindled down to a select few states. Joseph II as well had placed high protective tariffs and the government closely supervised economic activity. However, unlike his Prussian counter-part, Joseph II had abolished serfdom within his empire.
Similarly, another enlightened despot was Catherine II of Russia, her reign from 1762–1796. She had restricted the use of torture, a nod to Beccaria who was against torture and cruel punishment. She had also to a certain degree granted religious toleration for non-Orthodox Christians as well as attempted to reform education by establishing primary and secondary schools throughout Russia. But, like Frederick, kept serfdom in her country and actually secured serfdom in Russia after Pugachev’s Rebellion that occurred in 1773. She also enacted a rather unfair taxation system upon her people. In the end, Frederick the Great and Joseph II had taken some enlightened ideas and used them to better their respective states, they did not embrace all enlightened thinking and instead had rather anti-enlightened
First, both Frederick the Great and Joseph II made improvements …show more content…
They both had gone against the laissez-faire ideology, a concept created by Adam Smith. Frederick placed taxes on Jews and tried to exclude them from the professions and civil service. He also did not abolish serfdom, an important factor to Prussia’s economy, an old-age practice that had dwindled down to a select few states. Joseph II as well had placed high protective tariffs and the government closely supervised economic activity. However, unlike his Prussian counter-part, Joseph II had abolished serfdom within his empire.
Similarly, another enlightened despot was Catherine II of Russia, her reign from 1762–1796. She had restricted the use of torture, a nod to Beccaria who was against torture and cruel punishment. She had also to a certain degree granted religious toleration for non-Orthodox Christians as well as attempted to reform education by establishing primary and secondary schools throughout Russia. But, like Frederick, kept serfdom in her country and actually secured serfdom in Russia after Pugachev’s Rebellion that occurred in 1773. She also enacted a rather unfair taxation system upon her people. In the end, Frederick the Great and Joseph II had taken some enlightened ideas and used them to better their respective states, they did not embrace all enlightened thinking and instead had rather anti-enlightened