Enlightened Despotism

by John G. Gagliardo

A well-crafted, brief history by John Gagliardo provides analysis and interpretation of the three decades of European history generally called the Age of Enlightend Despotism. After a survey of the origin of the term and scholarly attempts to decide its meaning, a discussion of the Enlightenment provides the background for the author's investigation of the reforms of Frederick the Great, Joseph II, Catherine II, and other figures of this epoch.

Genres: History

118 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1967

Reviews

[Aung Sett Kyaw Min · Rating 2 out of 5]

Can an absolute monarch ever be open to philosophical ideas and implement the reforms that follow from them? In this short volume, the author offers a demystication of the myth of "enlightened despotism" in the mid 18th century. We learn the bitter truth that princes were generally speaking no more personally enlightened than during the halcyon days of absolute monarchy and were only driven to pursue reforms and modernize the state machinery out of sheer practical concerns. Therefore "enlightened despotism" is only unique to the extent that the reformist-paternal attitude was near universal among the European states during the mid 1750s. Enlightened despotism is in fact the dying gasp of monarchy which througu rationalizing the state and bureacracy has at the same time rendered themselves superflous.