Was Did Fredrick The Great Think Of Himself As Ruler Of Prussia?

Frederick II attitude towards his position was largely that of an absolute ruler. Frederick refused to undergo the coronation ceremony as he was not interested in mystical religious aspects of monarchy. He was one of the first kings not to believe that his position was given to him by God (the Divine Right of Kings theory). He believed that it was not the ruler's responsibility to interfere with religion, mainly because he did not believe in God himself.

He considered his main duties as a ruler were to protect the innocent and look after the poor. However, the evidence provided in this essay clearly shows that he did not carry these two philosophies out when applying them to Prussia's domestic policy. He stated that honesty and truth were important principles of being a king. However, he opposed the teachings of John Locke regarding the right of the people to overthrow their monarch if he/she did not represent the interests of his people. Frederick admitted that the king should have unlimited freedom to help his people.

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