Philosophical kingship in eighteenth-century Europe : Frederick II, Catherine II, and the philosophes
This thesis offers a re-reading of the intellectual and historical significance of the relationships that Frederick the Great of Prussia and Catherine the Great of Russia maintained with a number of leading French philosophes. It makes four overarching points. Firstly, these long-standing relationships were more than assertions of 'soft power' and vehicles by which rulers and philosophers cultivated their celebrity and posthumous glory. They were also sites of intellectual contestation, where all participants engaged seriously with contemporary ideas. Secondly, the philosophes exercised considerable power and enjoyed remarkable success in persuading Frederick and Catherine of the value of their philosophic causes and agendas. Thirdly, their exchanges and their contexts show that these causes and agendas were firmly rooted in the philosophes' political thinking, and revolved around determining the terms of the relationship between philosophy and government. Fourthly, the most important aspects of Frederick and Catherine's relationships with the philosophes-the correspondence and other negotiations that undergirded them-all took place in a space between, yet inadequately captured by conventional conceptions
Lim, Shi Ru
Philosophical kingship in eighteenth-century Europe : Frederick II, Catherine II, and the philosophes. This thesis offers a re-reading of the intellectual and historical significance of the relationships that Frederick the Great of Prussia and Catherine the Great of Russia maintained with a number of leading French philosophes. It makes four overarching points. Firstly, these long-standing relationships were more than assertions of 'soft power' and vehicles by which rulers and philosophers cultivated their celebrity and posthumous glory. They were also sites of intellectual contestation, where all participants engaged seriously with contemporary ideas. Secondly, the philosophes exercised considerable power and enjoyed remarkable success in persuading Frederick and Catherine of the value of their philosophic causes and agendas. Thirdly, their exchanges and their contexts show that these causes and agendas were firmly rooted in the philosophes' political thinking, and revolved around determining the terms of the relationship between philosophy and government. Fourthly, the most important aspects of Frederick and Catherine's relationships with the philosophes-the correspondence and other negotiations that undergirded them-all took place in a space between, yet inadequately captured by conventional conceptions
philosophical kingship eighteenth_century europe offer reading intellectual historical_significance relationship great prussia great russia maintain number lead french make overarch point firstly long_standing relationship assertion soft power vehicle ruler philosopher cultivate posthumous glory also sit intellectual contestation participant engage seriously contemporary idea secondly exercise considerable power enjoy remarkable success persuade value philosophic cause agenda thirdly exchange contexts show cause agendas firmly root political thinking revolve_around determine term relationship philosophy government fourthly important_aspect relationship the correspondence negotiation undergird them all take_place space yet inadequately conventional conception