Question

What are the qualities of an enlightened ruler? Chinese leaders sought inspiration from the philosophy of Confucianism. Muslim rulers applied the teachings of the Quran to their governments. Christianity and the classical teachings of Greece and Rome influenced European emperors and kings. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Enlightenment philosophers theorized about the ideal government. Although their views varied, their collective works shaped modern governments. The following ideas are a few of the most important Enlightenment principles: • Government exists to protect th