What Do Historians Mean by the Term "Enlightened Absolutism," and to What

question 52

Essay

What do historians mean by the term "enlightened absolutism," and to what degree did eighteenth-century Prussia, Austria, and Russia exhibit its characteristics? How "enlightened" was enlightened absolutism as it was manifested in eighteenth-century Europe? Give examples to support your viewpoint.

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Definitions:

Universal Default

A lending practice where a creditor increases a borrower's interest rate if the borrower defaults with another lender.

Whiteness

A social construct referring to the practices, cultural norms, and privileges afforded to people socially designated as white in different historical and geopolitical contexts.

Strategic Amnesia

An intentional or planned process of forgetting or ignoring certain facts, events, or knowledge, often for political, strategic, or psychological purposes.

Neoclassical Sculptors

Artists who, during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, drew inspiration from ancient Greek and Roman art to create sculptures characterized by harmony, clarity, and restraint.