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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

“We ought to be very cautious and circumspect in the prosecution of magic and heresy. The attempt to put down these two crimes may be extremely perilous to liberty.”

May Two Wisdom Politics Liberty Economy Magic Crime Ought Liberalism Cautious Heresy Prosecution

Author:Baron de Montesquieu

“Republics come to an end by luxurious habits; monarchies by poverty.”

Ends Wisdom Politics Poverty Economy Habit Liberalism Republic Monarchy Luxurious

Author:Baron de Montesquieu

“The tyranny of a prince in an oligarchy is not so dangerous to the public welfare as the apathy of a citizen in a democracy.”

Wisdom Politics Economy Democracy Dangerous Citizens Tyranny Welfare Liberalism Apathy Oligarchy Liberty And Justice Public Welfare Indifference And Apathy

Author:Baron de Montesquieu

“In the state of nature... all men are born equal, but they cannot continue in this equality. Society makes them lose it, and they recover it only by the protection of the law.”

Men States Law Politics Born Loses Equal Equality Protection

Book:The Spirit of Laws

Source: The Spirit of Laws

“A nation may lose its liberties in a day and not miss them in a century.”

May Politics Nations Loses Freedom Liberty Century Missing

Author:Baron de Montesquieu

“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

“When the body of the people is possessed of the supreme power, it is called a democracy.”

People Body Politics Democracy Supreme Possessed Nerd Supreme Power

Book:The Spirit of Laws

Source: The Spirit of Laws

“No tyranny is more cruel than the one practised in the shadow of the laws and under color of justice - when, so to speak, one proceeds to drown the unfortunate on the very plank by which they had saved themselves. And since a tyrant never lacks instruments for his tyranny, Tiberius always found judges ready to condemn as many people as he might suspect.”

People Might Law Found Politics Speak Justice Color Ready Judging Shadow Instruments Saved Tyranny Suspects Tyrants Unfortunate

Author:Baron de Montesquieu

About the Author

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

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