Joseph was an enlightened absolutist ruler, incorporating reason and Enlightenment ideals into his administration. Emperor Joseph's enlightened despot contemporaries, Catherine the Great of Russia and Frederick the Great of Prussia, both claimed to detest feudalism yet chose to appease their noble classes by strengthening the serfdom system during their years in power.
Joseph was a enlightened absolute monarch who integrated reason and Enlightenment principles into his administration. Rulers such as Catherine the Great of Russia and Frederick the Great of Prussia, who claimed to detest feudalism but instead reinforced serfdom among their nobles during their reigns, were contemporaries of Joseph.