It was a system of government that managed to maintain itself during the 18th century. This particular way of governing tried to link absolutism with the novel ideas that the enlightenment raised, thereby seeking to combine the interests of the monarchy with the tranquility and comfort of the governed. Enlightened despotism is thus a political concept that takes its first steps among the old European regimes.
Most of the countries of Europe adopted (some more than others) this way of governing, applying its obvious power as a mechanism to promote culture and improve the social situation of their subjects.
There is a phrase that became very fashionable at that time and was as follows: "everything for the people but without the people", this phrase was typical of enlightened despotism, which was characterized by its paternalistic nature, disagree with ideas developed among the encyclopedists who considered necessary the participation of the people in political issues.
Enlightened despotism made use of a series of modifications, to be able to maintain itself, since at that time, many of the European nations were going through a strong political and economic crisis, which is why many monarchs began to become more flexible and begin to approve reform ideas proposed by scholars of the time, with the aim of promoting the renewal of the economy and finance. However, not everything was so generous, since it never meant a greater intervention in the politics of the sectors that demanded it, on the contrary, it gave the monarch greater power.
Despite this, all this political current was declining towards the end of the 18th century, since all these ideas suggested by the illustration were accepted by the kings, what it did was to light the fuse in the feelings of the disadvantaged sectors, especially of the bourgeoisie, who fought this system for considering it a producer of social inequality.
The most outstanding representatives of enlightened despotism were: the Marquis of Pompal, José II of Germany, Frederick II of Prussia, and Catherine II the great.
