Editing Age of Enlightenment (section)

====Enlightened absolutism====
{{Main|Enlightened absolutism}}
[[File:SebastiãoJoseph.png|thumb|left|upright=.8|The [[Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal|Marquis of Pombal]], as the head of the government of Portugal, implemented sweeping socio-economic reforms.]]

The leaders of the Enlightenment were not especially democratic, as they more often look to absolute monarchs as the key to imposing reforms designed by the intellectuals. Voltaire despised democracy and said the absolute monarch must be enlightened and must act as dictated by reason and justice—in other words, be a "[[Philosopher king|philosopher-king]]."<ref>{{cite book |editor=David Williams |title=Voltaire: Political Writings |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LV7GZhQEULEC&pg=PR14 |year=1994 |pages=xiv–xv |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-43727-1}}</ref>

In several nations, rulers welcomed leaders of the Enlightenment at court and asked them to help design laws and programs to reform the system, typically to build stronger states. These rulers are called "enlightened despots" by historians.<ref>Stephen J. Lee, ''Aspects of European history, 1494–1789'' (1990) pp.&nbsp;258–266</ref> They included Frederick the Great of Prussia, Catherine the Great of Russia, [[Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor|Leopold II]] of [[Grand Duchy of Tuscany|Tuscany]] and Joseph II of Austria. Joseph was over-enthusiastic, announcing many reforms that had little support so that revolts broke out and his regime became a comedy of errors, and nearly all his programs were reversed.<ref>Nicholas Henderson, "Joseph II," ''History Today'' (March 1991) 41:21–27</ref> Senior ministers [[Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal|Pombal in Portugal]] and [[Johann Friedrich Struensee]] in Denmark also governed according to Enlightenment ideals. In Poland, the model [[Constitution of 3 May 1791|constitution of 1791]] expressed Enlightenment ideals, but was in effect for only one year before [[Second Partition of Poland|the nation was partitioned]] among its neighbors. More enduring were the cultural achievements, which created a nationalist spirit in Poland.<ref>John Stanley, "Towards A New Nation: The Enlightenment and National Revival in Poland," ''Canadian Review of Studies in Nationalism,'' 1983, Vol. 10 Issue 2, pp.&nbsp;83–110</ref>
[[File:Struensee - miniature portrait.jpg|thumb|upright=.8|Denmark's minister [[Johann Friedrich Struensee|Johann Struensee]], a social reformer, was publicly executed in 1772 for usurping royal authority.]]

Frederick the Great, the king of Prussia from 1740 to 1786, saw himself as a leader of the Enlightenment and patronized philosophers and scientists at his court in Berlin. Voltaire, who had been imprisoned and maltreated by the French government, was eager to accept Frederick's invitation to live at his palace. Frederick explained: "My principal occupation is to combat ignorance and prejudice... to enlighten minds, cultivate morality, and to make people as happy as it suits human nature, and as the means at my disposal permit."<ref>Giles MacDonogh, ''Frederick the Great: A Life in Deed and Letters'' (2001) p. 341</ref>