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Charles Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu (18 January 1689 – 10 February 1755), generally referred to as simply Montesquieu, was a French judge, man of letters, historian, and political philosopher.
4 days ago · Montesquieu (born January 18, 1689, Château La Brède, near Bordeaux, France—died February 10, 1755, Paris) was a French political philosopher whose principal work, The Spirit of Laws, was a major contribution to political theory.
Nov 17, 2023 · Montesquieu (1689-1757) was a French philosopher whose ideas in works like The Spirit of the Laws helped launch the Enlightenment movement in Europe.
Jul 18, 2003 · Montesquieu was one of the great political philosophers of the Enlightenment. Insatiably curious and mordantly funny, he constructed a naturalistic account of the various forms of government, and of the causes that made them what they were and that advanced or constrained their development.
4 days ago · Abandoning the classical divisions of his predecessors into monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy, Montesquieu produced his own analysis and assigned to each form of government an animating principle: the republic, based on virtue; the monarchy, based on honour; and despotism ( see tyranny ), based on fear.
Montesquieu’s masterpiece is one of the most influential studies in the history of political theory and jurisprudence. Montesquieu envisioned The Spirit of Laws as a major work of law and politics, and he applied himself accordingly to its composition.
Learn about Montesquieu, a prominent French philosopher and political theorist who influenced modern democratic systems with his separation of powers doctrine. Explore his biography, historical context, core philosophy, essential works, reception, criticisms and legacy.