Did Any Of Fredrick The Great’s Policies Meet Approval Among Advocates Of The Enlightenment?

Although it seems that the domestic policies of Frederick the Great were distinctly un-Enlightened, some of his reforms and actions were met with approval among the philosophes. The King of Prussia was very tolerant of most religions. In fact, Frederick can easily claim to be the most tolerant ruler in Europe. He welcomed religion as he thought it kept people quiet. Toleration was extended to the new, Protestant Christian religions. Frederick encouraged a steady flow of immigrants of various religions, to provide recruits for his army and other administrations.

There was a downside, however, as there was to all European rulers at this time, regarding toleration. Jews were still persecuted and not accepted as immigrants. They were increasingly banned from top jobs and were required to pay special taxes. In addition, Frederick made attempts to curb the power of the Catholic Church. He took education away from Church control and put it in the hands of the state. The King also heavily punished priests for preaching against his ideas.

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