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Similarities Between Catherine The Great And The Enlightenment

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Catherine the Great of Russia was an enlightened despot, which means she used ideas from the Enlightenment to strengthen the ideas of her rule. Catherine the Great includes many statements that reflect the ideas our nation values in a democratic system. She had many structural rules regarding the means of punishment one is to receive, many of which we still hold in our government today. Firstly, she was against all kinds of corporal punishments. In America, a democratic society, the 8th amendment states the way in which people should receive punishment. The amendment forbids “cruel and unusual punishment.” In line 97, it states, “All punishments by which the human Body might be maimed ought to be abolished.” Catherine the Great also believed that all punishments must have a solid reason, and must be made known to the public (line 63 and line 220), which is the same in a democratic society. Catherine the Great also had a strong idea of what and how the government and its laws should serve the people. In line 33, she states that laws should be created for the sole purpose of securing “the safety of every citizen as much as possible.” Connected to that prior statement, she continues on to form her perspective on equality. Her law code explains that the equality of her citizens is structured upon their subjection to the …show more content…

In fact, once the people gained more knowledge and power, she moved to burn Voltaire’s works. Once she saw the people were finding themselves in a higher position than they last were, because of the influence of the Enlightenment, she felt her power was threatened. The law code exhibits the society Catherine the Great wanted to build and enforce, and it still impacts democratic governments

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