Frederick II, in his own way a precursor of liberalism3 reading minutes

Many studies of the reign of Frederick II, King of Prussia from 1740 to 1786, emphasize the authoritarian nature of the regime he led. To leave it at that, however, would be to overlook the liberal orientation of the political writings of this «enlightened despot».

Published in 1777, Frederick II's Essai sur les formes de gouvernement et les devoirs du souverain (Essay on forms of government and the duties of the sovereign) is in the spirit of Enlightenment philosophy. In this text, the monarch aims to explain certain major decisions taken during his reign.

This is a strong criticism of the proliferation of - often competing - state structures governing certain kingdoms. For Frederick II, when a government has too many ministers, «one often pulls to the left, while the other pulls to the right», which undermines the coherence of state action.

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