Who served as a finance minister for Louis XIV and implemented significant reforms?

The finance minister who served under Louis XIV and implemented significant reforms was Jean-Baptiste Colbert. He is well-known for his efforts in centralizing the economy of France and enhancing its finances, which were crucial to supporting the ambitions of Louis XIV’s absolutist rule. Colbert applied mercantilist principles, which focused on increasing the wealth and power of the state through the regulation of the economy and the expansion of the manufacturing sector.

His major contributions included improving tax collection, managing state finances more efficiently, and promoting French industry and commerce. Colbert's policies laid the foundation for a strong centralized state that could finance wars and maintain the lavish lifestyle of the monarchy. He also sought to boost France’s shipping and trade, leading to a stronger presence in global trade markets.

The other individuals mentioned were influential in their own rights but did not serve as finance ministers for Louis XIV or implement economic reforms in that capacity. Montesquieu, Rousseau, and Voltaire were prominent philosophers during the Enlightenment who focused on political philosophy, social contract theories, and critiques of society, rather than on fiscal policies or governance in a ministerial role.