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Baron de Montesquieu

Baron de Montesquieu Quotes

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Baron de Montesquieu, a French Enlightenment thinker, jurist, historian, and politician, was born on January 18, 1689, and died on February 10, 1755. He is one of the most important thinkers in the history of Western political thought, known for his contributions to the theory of the separation of powers.

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Famous Baron de Montesquieu Quotes

“Democracy has two excesses to avoid: the spirit of inequality, which leads to an aristocracy, or to the government of a single individual; and the spirit of extreme equality, which conducts it to despotism, as the despotism of a single individual finishes by conquest.”

Two Wisdom Government Spirit Politics Individual Economy Democracy Extremes Inequality Liberalism Excess Conquest Aristocracy Despotism Democracies Have

Author:Baron de Montesquieu

“There is still another inconvenieney in conquests made by democracies; their government is ever odious to the conquered states. It is apparently monarchical, but in reality it is more oppressive than monarchy, as the experience of all ages and countries evinces.”

Made Stills Country States Reality Government Age Democracy Conquest Monarchy

Author:Baron de Montesquieu

“When the savages of Louisiana wish to have fruit, they cut the tree at the bottom and gather the fruit. That is exactly a despotic government.”

Government Wish Cutting Tree Fruit Bottom Savages Despotism Louisiana

Author:Baron de Montesquieu

“When a government is arrived to that degree of corruption as to be incapable of reforming itself, it would not lose much by being new moulded.”

Government Loses Degrees Corruption Incapable

Book:The Spirit of Laws

Source: The Spirit of Laws

“Vanity and pride of nations; vanity is as advantageous to a government as pride is dangerous.”

Government Nations Dangerous Pride Vanity Vanity And Pride

Book:The Spirit of Laws

Source: The Spirit of Laws

“Vanity is as advantageous to a government as pride is dangerous. To be convinced of this we need only represent, on the one hand,the numberless benefits which result from vanity, as industry, the arts, fashions, politeness, and taste; and on the other, the infinite evils which spring from the pride of certain nations, a laziness, poverty, a total neglect of everything.”

Needs Art Hands Government Certain Evil Nations Results Poverty Fashion Dangerous Pride Industry Taste Benefits Spring Infinite Convinced Vanity Neglect Laziness Politeness

Author:Baron de Montesquieu

“It is clear that in a monarchy, where he who commands the exceution of the laws generally thinks himself above them, there is lessneed of virtue than in a popular government, where the person entrusted with the execution of the laws is sensible of his being subject to their direction.”

Thinking Persons Government Law Virtue Democracy Clear Subjects Command Sensible Execution Monarchy

Author:Baron de Montesquieu

“In a republic there is no coercive force as in other governments, the laws must therefore endeavor to supply this defect.”

Government Law Force Endeavor Republic Defects

Author:Baron de Montesquieu

“Political liberty in a citizen is that tranquillity of spirit which comes from the opinion each one has of his security, and in order for him to have this liberty the government must be such that one citizen cannot fear another citizen.”

Government Political Spirit Order Liberty Opinion Security Citizens Tranquillity

Author:Baron de Montesquieu

“When a government lasts a long while, it deteriorates by insensible degrees. Republics end through luxury, monarchies through poverty.”

Long Ends Government Lasts Poverty Degrees Luxury Republic Monarchy Insensible

Author:Baron de Montesquieu

“Better it is to say that the government most comfortable to nature is that which best agrees with the humor and disposition of the people in whose favor it is established.”

People Government Comfortable Agree Favors Disposition

Author:Baron de Montesquieu

“In every government there are three sorts of power: the legislative; the executive in respect to things dependent on the law of nations; and the executive in regard to matters that depend on the civil law.”

Matter Government Law Three Nations Depends Regard Dependent Executives

Book:The Spirit of Laws

Source: The Spirit of Laws

“Liberty itself has appeared intolerable to those nations who have not been accustomed to enjoy it.”

Government Nations Enjoy Liberty Accustomed

Book:The Spirit of Laws

Source: The Spirit of Laws

“In republican governments, men are all equal; equal they are also in despotic governments: in the former, because they are everything; in the latter, because they are nothing.”

Men Government Politics Republican Equal Former Latter Republican Government

Book:The Spirit of Laws

Source: The Spirit of Laws

“There are three species of government: republican, monarchical, and despotic.”

Government Three Republican Species Gambling

Book:The Spirit of Laws

Source: The Spirit of Laws

“The deterioration of every government begins with the decay of the principles on which it was founded.”

War Character Government Liberty Principles Virtue Honesty Integrity Anti War Apathy Antiwar Decay Deterioration

Author:Baron de Montesquieu

“It is requisite the government be so constituted as one man need not be afraid of another.”

Men Needs Government One Man

Book:The Spirit of Laws

Source: The Spirit of Laws

“Political liberty is to be found only in moderate governments.”

Government Political Found Liberty Moderates

Book:The Spirit of Laws

Source: The Spirit of Laws

About the Author

Born: January 18, 1689
Died: February 10, 1755
Known for: Author
Quotes: 226

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