Difference between revisions of "Enlightened despotism"
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An '''enlightened despot''' was a [[monarch]] during the [[Enlightenment]] who ruled with some concern for the welfare of his people. In other words, this type of [[king]] allowed some reforms for the good of the people but still maintained absolute power. [[Voltaire]], a prominent French philosophe and Enlightenment thinker, was a proponent of such a government. Monarchs that are considered enlightened despots usually ruled over Eastern European countries, such as [[Emperor]] [[Joseph II]] of [[Austria]] or [[Catherine the Great]] of [[Russia]]. | An '''enlightened despot''' was a [[monarch]] during the [[Enlightenment]] who ruled with some concern for the welfare of his people. In other words, this type of [[king]] allowed some reforms for the good of the people but still maintained absolute power. [[Voltaire]], a prominent French philosophe and Enlightenment thinker, was a proponent of such a government. Monarchs that are considered enlightened despots usually ruled over Eastern European countries, such as [[Emperor]] [[Joseph II]] of [[Austria]] or [[Catherine the Great]] of [[Russia]]. | ||
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[[Category:Forms of Government]] | [[Category:Forms of Government]] | ||
Revision as of 19:20, January 10, 2009
An enlightened despot was a monarch during the Enlightenment who ruled with some concern for the welfare of his people. In other words, this type of king allowed some reforms for the good of the people but still maintained absolute power. Voltaire, a prominent French philosophe and Enlightenment thinker, was a proponent of such a government. Monarchs that are considered enlightened despots usually ruled over Eastern European countries, such as Emperor Joseph II of Austria or Catherine the Great of Russia.