Enlightened Despotism: Reforms and Intellectual Foundations

Centralised Administration and Reforms

The monarchs who established this form of government made the following decisions:

• Centralised Administration: They created a centralised administration to implement all their decisions.
  • They appointed enlightened thinkers as ministers.
  • They enacted reforms such as the unification of the legal system, modernisation of the army, and the promotion of agriculture, education, and culture.

Economic Reforms and Agricultural Progress

As a result of these reforms, harvests improved significantly:

• Agricultural Techniques: Implementation of crop rotation and the use of rudimentary machinery.
• Production Increases: The repopulation of uninhabited areas to increase overall production and the introduction of new crops, such as potatoes and corn.
• Social Reforms: In Spain, for example, Charles III eliminated the legal dishonour of labour, allowing members of the nobility to work.
• Royal Manufacturers: Royal factories produced luxury goods, such as crystal lamps, silk, tapestries, porcelain, and clocks, for the nobility and the wealthy bourgeoisie.
• Infrastructure: Improved transportation systems, including roads, canals for irrigation, and port installations.
• International Trade: Trade intensified between Europe and the American colonies.

The Intellectual Foundations of the Enlightenment

• Jean-Jacques Rousseau: He questioned the divine right of kings. In The Social Contract, he argued that the King receives power from the general will of the people, not from God. He championed the importance of individual reason, equality under the law, and natural rights.
• The Spirit of the Enlightenment: This was a period of optimism, driven by the belief that science and reason would improve human society.
• Montesquieu: In The Spirit of the Laws, he criticised absolute monarchy. He proposed that the best way to protect freedom was to divide political power into three branches: legislative, judicial, and executive. Each branch would limit the others, ensuring a balance of power.
• Voltaire: He advocated for freedom of religion, expression, and the separation of church and state. He criticised intolerance, injustice, inequality, ignorance, and superstition. Throughout his life, he wrote over 20,000 letters and 2,000 books and pamphlets. Due to his attacks on the French monarchy and the Catholic Church, he was imprisoned in the Bastille, exiled, and his works were frequently outlawed or burnt.