... stimulate thinking in the same direction: the prize essay, recommending abolition, was chosen by Catherine in 1765. By her own very public example of inoculation against smallpox (in contrast to the royal families of France, Spain and Austria who refused to undergo it on religious grounds), she sought both to save lives and to demonstrate the real benefits of the Enlightenment faith in scientific ... empiricism and humanitarian zeal. Hospitals and the Foundlings' Home (1764) which she established also saved young lives which, in turn, she intended to turn into useful lives. (See Janet H...

• Word Count: 429
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Graduate