How did Catherine understand the essence of enlightened absolutism?

Catherine II, like many emperors before her and after her, tried to show herself as a liberal politician striving to establish uniform rights and laws for all strata of society. Catherine understood the essence of enlightened absolutism in the supremacy of autocracy, the supremacy of the law for all strata, and freedom of action. However, in practice, the law was still less strict with the nobles, and the peasants continued to be infringed upon in spite of their right to freedom. As always, the realities of Russia prevented the implementation of deep reforms, ossified traditions and the aristocratic system could not allow the abolition of serfdom and technical progress. The main goal of peasant policy was to prevent a recurrence of peasant uprisings. The lack of hired workers did not contribute to the development of enterprises.