Answer :
It would be the "Enlightened Despot" that allowed religious toleration, freedom of speech and the press, rights to own private property and nurtured the arts, sciences and education, since these rulers knew that accepting certain different customs and religions was helpful in maintaining an orderly empire.
Final answer:
An Enlightened Despot is a ruler who promoted progressive Enlightenment ideals while maintaining autocratic power, exemplified by Frederick the Great of Prussia. These monarchs sought to centralize power and enact reforms to improve governance and promote national unity.
Explanation:
The type of ruler who allowed religious toleration, freedom of speech and the press, rights to own private property, and nurtured the arts, sciences, and education is known as an Enlightened Despot. One such ruler was Frederick the Great of Prussia. Enlightened despots were influenced by the Enlightenment and attempted to apply some of its progressive principles while maintaining their autocratic power. They would often invite prominent philosophers to their courts, such as Voltaire by Frederick, to help design policies. Philosophers like Locke, Rousseau, and Hobbes influenced the concept of the social contract and provided theoretical models that could appeal to these rulers.
Enlightened despots aimed at implementing reforms to improve their states, often centralizing power to break down barriers such as regional autonomies and vested interests, promoting national unity, and establishing control over various aspects of society, including borders and population movement. However, it is essential to note that despite these progressive policies, enlightened absolutism still involved a significant concentration of power in the hands of the monarch.
