On the Enlightenment, Liberalism, and Nationalism in Prussia. Vol. 2, Aporias of Friedrich II’s Enlightened Absolutism
Author(s) Aleksandar Molnar Publisher Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University of Belgrade Službeni glasnik, Belgrade Published 2011 ISBN 978-86-519-1132-6 Pages 149 Edition Special edition
Against the accepted view that Friedrich II was a model of an enlightened sovereign, Aleksandar Molnar shows in this book that the King’s philosophical interests were mostly personal curiosity; in no way did his interest in enlightenment spill over into governing the state. Friedrich’s Prussia saw the strengthening of the idea of raison d’état, that provided the basis for militarism, as well as the idea of an organic unity of ruler and subjects, along with nationalism.