 She read the most prominent "philosophes" of the day, including Montesquieu and Voltaire and tried to adhere to Enlightenment ideas.She wished to bring Russia up to par with its neighbors not only in a military sense, but also politically, culturally, and intellectually.Many of Catherine's contemporaries questioned her adherence to Enlightenment ideals and thought she was an egoist, merely using concepts from the Age of Enlightenment to further her selfish gains.