During the enlightenment a new brand of leader emerged, the enlightened despot, a ruler who embraced enlightenment philosophies and incorporated them in his rule. Louis XIV, who ruled France for 72 years, has been named one of the most effective monarchs of all time. He, however, was not an enlightened ruler because he was not tolerant, believed in absolutism and lived an extravagant lifestyle, contrary to utilitarian ideas. .
Louis XIV saw himself as a crusader for the Catholic Church. He did not tolerate Protestants and effectively evicted them from France. In 1685, Louis signed the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes (Document 8). The Edict had allowed Huguenots to practice their religion without persecution; the Revocation reflected Louis" lack of religious tolerance. Louis XIV was known for his harassment of the Protestants. In 1681 Madame de Maintenon wrote: "If God grants the King life, in twenty years time there will not be a single Huguenot in France"(Document 10). The Enlightenment called for religious tolerance and Louis XIV failed to uphold that ideal, therefore he was not an enlightened despot. .
Louis XIV was an absolute ruler. He believed he had unlimited power over his subjects and that his authority was unquestionable. Of Louis" rule, De Montmeran wrote: " the power of kings is without limits-(Document 4). Louis felt he was not accountable to anyone for his actions. This idea of Absolutism contrasted sharply with the political theories of one of the Enlightenments most prominent thinkers, John Locke. Of power, Locke wrote: Therefore although the legislature may be the supreme power in every commonwealth, it is not, nor can possibly be, absolutely arbitrary over the lives and fortunes of the people"(Locke). Locke believed that the power of the state is limited and cannot be used arbitrarily. Louis was not an enlightened despot because he ruled with the belief that he held absolute power over his subjects.
