Charles-Louis De Secondat Montesquieu

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born

January 18, 1689 in La Brede, Gironde, France

died

February 10, 1755

gender

male

website

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montesquieu

genre

History, Philosophy, Politics

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Charles-Louis de Secondat, baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu (English pronunciation: /ˈmɒntɨskjuː/; 18 January 1689, La Brède, Gironde – 10 February 1755), was a French social commentator and political thinker who lived during the Era of the Enlightenment. He is famous for his articulation of the theory of separation of powers, taken for granted in modern discussions of government and implemented in many constitutions throughout the world. He was largely responsible for the popularization of the terms feudalism and Byzantine Empire.

After having studied at the Catholic College of Juilly, Charles-Louis de Secondat married. His wife, Jeanne de Lartigue, a Protestant, brought him a substantial dowry when he was 26. The next year, he inherited...more Charles-Louis de Secondat, baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu (English pronunciation: /ˈmɒntɨskjuː/; 18 January 1689, La Brède, Gironde – 10 February 1755), was a French social commentator and political thinker who lived during the Era of the Enlightenment. He is famous for his articulation of the theory of separation of powers, taken for granted in modern discussions of government and implemented in many constitutions throughout the world. He was largely responsible for the popularization of the terms feudalism and Byzantine Empire.

After having studied at the Catholic College of Juilly, Charles-Louis de Secondat married. His wife, Jeanne de Lartigue, a Protestant, brought him a substantial dowry when he was 26. The next year, he inherited a fortune upon the death of his uncle, as well as the title Baron de Montesquieu and Président à Mortier in the Parliament of Bordeaux. By that time, England had declared itself a constitutional monarchy in the wake of its Glorious Revolution (1688–89), and had joined with Scotland in the Union of 1707 to form the Kingdom of Great Britain. In 1715 the long-reigning Louis XIV died and was succeeded by the five-year-old Louis XV. These national transformations impacted Montesquieu greatly; he would later refer to them repeatedly in his work.
Soon afterwards he achieved literary success with the publication of his Lettres persanes (Persian Letters, 1721), a satire based on the imaginary correspondence of a Persian visitor to Paris, pointing out the absurdities of contemporary society. He next published Considérations sur les causes de la grandeur des Romains et de leur décadence (Considerations on the Causes of the Grandeur and Decadence of the Romans, 1734), considered by some scholars a transition from The Persian Letters to his master work. De l'Esprit des Lois (The Spirit of the Laws) was originally published anonymously in 1748 and quickly rose to a position of enormous influence. In France, it met with an unfriendly reception from both supporters and opponents of the regime. The Roman Catholic Church banned l'Esprit – along with many of Montesquieu's other works – in 1751 and included it on the Index of Prohibited Books. It received the highest praise from the rest of Europe, especially Britain.
Montesquieu was also highly regarded in the British colonies in America as a champion of British liberty (though not of American independence). Political scientist Donald Lutz found that Montesquieu was the most frequently quoted authority on government and politics in colonial pre-revolutionary British America.[1] Following the American secession, Montesquieu's work remained a powerful influence on many of the American founders, most notably James Madison of Virginia, the "Father of the Constitution". Montesquieu's philosophy that "government should be set up so that no man need be afraid of another" reminded Madison and others that a free and stable foundation for their new national government required a clearly defined and balanced separation of powers.
Besides composing additional works on society and politics, Montesquieu traveled for a number of years through Europe including Austria and Hungary, spending a year in Italy and 18 months in England before resettling in France. He was troubled by poor eyesight, and was completely blind by the time he died from a high fever in 1755. He was buried in the Église Saint-Sulpice, Paris.

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Average rating: 3.71 · 1,350 ratings · 53 reviews · 49 distinct works

	The Persian Letters by Charles-Louis De Secondat Montesquieu, Montesquieu, C. J. Betts (Introduction) 3.61 avg rating — 798 ratings — published 1721 — 59 editions	My rating:
	The Spirit of the Laws by Charles-Louis De Secondat Montesquieu, Anne M. Cohler (Editor) 3.83 avg rating — 534 ratings — published 1748 — 39 editions	My rating:
	Considerations on the Causes of the Greatness of the Romans and Their Decline 4.03 avg rating — 31 ratings — published 1748 — 14 editions	My rating:
	Selected Political Writings by Charles-Louis De Secondat Montesquieu, Melvin Richter (Translator) 3.69 avg rating — 13 ratings — published 1991 — 2 editions	My rating:
	De L'esprit Des Lois, Tome 1 4.33 avg rating — 9 ratings — published 1995 — 10 editions	My rating:
	De L'esprit Des Lois, Tome 2 4.14 avg rating — 7 ratings — published 2007 — 7 editions	My rating:
	Éloge De La Sincérité 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 1995 — 2 editions	My rating:
	Membatasi Kekuasaan: Telaah Mengenai Jiwa Undang-Undang 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 1993	My rating:
	Essai sur le goût 4.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 1993 — 2 editions	My rating:
	روح الشرائع by Charles-Louis De Secondat Montesquieu (Author), عادل زعيتر (Translator) 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating	My rating:

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Quotes by Charles-Louis De Secondat Montesquieu

“I have never known any distress that an hour’s reading did not relieve.”
― Charles-Louis De Secondat Montesquieu

tags: reading , stress-relief , trouble

21 people liked it

“Useless laws weaken the necessary laws.”
― Charles-Louis De Secondat Montesquieu, The Spirit of the Laws

tags: law , society

11 people liked it

“An author is a fool who, not content with boring those he lives with, insists on boring future generations.”
― Charles-Louis De Secondat Montesquieu

7 people liked it

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Charles-Louis De Secondat Montesquieu

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Books by Charles-Louis De Secondat Montesquieu