What defines an absolutist monarch in the Enlightenment era?

An absolutist monarch in the Enlightenment era is a ruler with unrestricted political power over their sovereign state and its people.

In the Enlightenment era, absolutist monarchs were defined by their absolute power and authority over their respective nations. This meant that they held unrestricted political power, with no legal or constitutional checks on their authority. They were the supreme law-makers, judges, and executors of their state, and their word was considered law. This form of governance was often justified by the doctrine of the divine right of kings, which posited that monarchs were chosen by God and thus their authority was unquestionable.

Absolutist monarchs controlled all aspects of their state, from the economy to the military, religion, and even culture. They often centralised power, reducing the influence of nobility and other potential rivals. They also typically maintained large standing armies to enforce their rule and protect their state. In terms of economic policy, they often pursued mercantilism, aiming to strengthen their national economy through a positive balance of trade.

However, the Enlightenment era also saw a shift in intellectual and philosophical thought, which began to challenge the principles of absolutism. Enlightenment thinkers such as John Locke and Montesquieu advocated for limited government and the separation of powers, ideas which were in direct opposition to the concept of absolutist rule. Despite this, many absolutist monarchs were patrons of the Enlightenment and even sought to incorporate its ideas into their rule, leading to the phenomenon of 'Enlightened Absolutism'. Enlightened absolutist monarchs, such as Frederick the Great of Prussia and Catherine the Great of Russia, sought to modernise their states and implement reforms based on Enlightenment principles, while still maintaining absolute power.

In summary, an absolutist monarch in the Enlightenment era was a ruler who held unrestricted political power over their state and its people. They controlled all aspects of their state and often centralised power. However, the Enlightenment era also saw a shift in thought that challenged absolutism, leading to the phenomenon of 'Enlightened Absolutism'.