The Odds Between the Enlightenment Despots and Philosophers

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Table of Contents

Introduction
European Monarchs and Philosophers of Enlightenment
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction

The period of Enlightenment is of great importance in the history of the formation of society, philosophical thought, and states. An aspect that is of particular interest is the question of the development of this thought and the relationship between some of the rulers of European nations, which were called the Enlightened Despots. Thus, Enlightenment philosophers were faced with the fact that some rulers, such as Catherine the Great and Maria Therese, did not follow all the values proclaimed by this worldview. Thus, this essay aims to explore the main differences that arose between the practices of many European monarchs and the Philosophes of the Enlightenment.

European Monarchs and Philosophers of Enlightenment

First of all, it is necessary to gain an understanding of what the Enlightenment era was, which philosophers adhered to its concepts, and what values it proclaimed. Thus, this ideology was the first to provide awareness about such theories as psychology and ethics. One of her followers was John Locke, who argued that people are formed as a person through experience (Wrońska 2). Another representative of this worldview, Thomas Hobbes, was of the opinion that the primary motivation of people was pleasure and pain. Consequently, the belief that people are driven by the desire for survival and satisfaction of needs has been mainly reflected in radical political theories (Fine 154). Thus, the states and their rulers were now observed as a mutual arrangement, the primary purpose of which was to protect the interests and security of the administered territories. Moreover, Enlightenment philosophers contributed to the emergence of a negative attitude towards the dominant authoritarian regimes and the proclamation of the values of political democracy.

Another aspect that is important in the framework of this work is the concept of Enlightened despots that have been formed. Following democratic concepts, Enlightenment philosophers believed that rulers should have been appointed to their places with the help of a social contract. Therefore, the royal power had to worry about improving life in the state in which the rule was and ensuring the safety of the people. Moreover, it was believed that they should first all take into account the interests and needs of the subjects of the board and not put personal interests as the leading ones. Thus, the main difference between the usual concept of a despot and a Most Holy despot lay in following the fundamental values developed by philosophers.

Despite the widespread Enlightenment worldviews, there were monarchs whose actions differed in implementation from enlightened despotism. One example is the activity of the Russian monarch. She was a unique monarch, a woman who sat on the Russian throne longer than any other female ruler. Regarding educational activities, the main areas that were subjected to these transformations were arts, sciences, and education (Outram 158). Therefore, the ruler held the opinion that changes in the Russian education system were necessary since she saw the need to create a new, more European society. However, the inconsistency of her actions was not following the democratic principles proclaimed by the Enlightenment era. It was in this aspect that the Queen’s odds arose with the philosophers who formed this worldview. At the same time, Catherine the Great introduced an initiative into the country, which implied the division of the state into provinces. Thus, it significantly reduced the power of the nobles, which was followed by economic reforms in the country. Moreover, serfdom had great power in the country, which was a consequence of the increased need for demands of the state and private landowners.

Another ruler who can be attributed to the group of Enlightenment despots is Maria Theresa. She was also one of the female rulers of the states that introduced significant changes in the country. Hence, during her reign in Austria, she introduced severe transformations in the military and bureaucratic spheres. In addition, Maria Therese’s significant achievement is financial reform, which contributed to the growth of the economy in the country (Johnson and Koyama 8). The Council of State, created by her, made significant changes to the authoritarian system of government in the country, which converged with the values of the Enlightenment. Moreover, like Catherine the Great, Maria Therese carried out transformations in the educational system of Austria. She introduced a new school system that allowed boys and girls to attend school together. Despite the complexity of its implementation, this initiative is considered one of the main achievements of the Queen.

Despite the fairly successful development of the economic and educational spheres, Maria Therese’s board has inconsistencies with the values of Enlightenment philosophers. Thus, the ruler experienced considerable difficulties in transforming the intellectual domain. One of these aspects is religious concepts and the desire to preserve one religion. This was done with the expectation that the community could limit possible conflicts and skirmishes among followers of different worldviews. However, this view only contributed to the deterioration of the religious situation in the country and the growing discontent on the part of the public. Another aggravating factor was that faiths such as Judaism and Protestantism were considered unsafe. Moreover, they violated and promoted the spread of concepts of tolerance in religion, which was also considered undesirable. From these circumstances, it followed that the followers of these worldviews were under pressure and suppression by the state. Thus, the deviation from the values of Enlightenment in the reign of Maria Therese was that she followed her own causes and interests.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this essay conducted a study of the Enlightenment and its disagreements with the monarchs ruling at that time. The concepts of this worldview believed that the main task of states is to ensure the security of the country and take into account the opinions and needs of the subjects they manage. Thus, the followers of the Enlightenment proclaimed the value and necessity of democratic principles. An important concept that was formed within the framework of the enlightenment era was educational despots, who were rulers who took into account its values in their activities. Examples of such political leaders as Catherine the Great and Maria Therese were engaged in active reform of such spheres as educational, economic, and political. However, the Russian ruler opposed the introduction of democracy in the country, which was reflected in the emergence of odds with the principles of educational philosophers. Marie Therese, in turn, despite her merits, denied the concept of religious tolerance in the country.

Works Cited

Fine, Robert. “Enlightenment Cosmopolitanism: Western or Universal?.” Enlightenment cosmopolitanism. Routledge, 2017, pp. 153-169.

Johnson, Noel D., and Mark Koyama. “States and Economic Growth: Capacity and Constraints.” Explorations in Economic History, vol. 64, 2017, pp. 1-20.

Outram, Dorinda. The Enlightenment. Cambridge University Press, 2019.

Wrońska, Katarzyna. “John Locke and his Educational Thought: Between Tradition and Modernity of Enlightenment,” Filozoficzne Problemy Edukacji, vol. 1, 2018.

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The Odds Between the Enlightenment Despots and Philosophers

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