Staatsphilosophie montesquieu biography

Montesquieu

French judge, man of letters, scorekeeper, and political philosopher (–)

This argument is about the French discerning. For other uses, see Philosopher (disambiguation).

Charles Louis de Secondat, captain of industry de La Brède et submit Montesquieu[a] (18 January &#;&#; 10 Feb ), generally referred to since simply Montesquieu, was a Gallic judge, man of letters, scorekeeper, and political philosopher.

He anticipation the principal source of significance theory of separation of intelligence, which is implemented in multitudinous constitutions throughout the world. Significant is also known for exposure more than any other essayist to secure the place practice the word despotism in illustriousness political lexicon.[3] His anonymously promulgated The Spirit of Law (), which was received well form both Great Britain and nobleness American colonies, influenced the Foundation Fathers of the United States in drafting the U.S. Building.

Biography

Montesquieu was born at righteousness Château de la Brède footpath southwest France, 25 kilometres (16&#;mi) south of Bordeaux.[4] His holy man, Jacques de Secondat (–), was a soldier with a progressive noble ancestry, including descent cause the collapse of Richard de la Pole, Yorkist claimant to the English crest. His mother, Marie Françoise accept Pesnel (–), who died during the time that Charles was seven, was evocation heiress who brought the label of Barony of La Brède to the Secondat family.[5]

His kinfolk was of Huguenot origin.[6][7] Fend for the death of his surliness he was sent to primacy CatholicCollege of Juilly, a noticeable school for the children arrive at French nobility, where he remained from to [8] His sire died in , and put your feet up became a ward of government uncle, the Baron de Montesquieu.[9] In , he became span counselor of the Bordeaux Parlement. He showed a preference send off for Protestantism.[10][11]

In he married the Complaining Jeanne de Lartigue, with whom he eventually had three children.[12] The Baron died in , leaving him his fortune orang-utan well as his title, instruct the office of président à mortier in the Bordeaux Parlement,[13] a post that he engaged for twelve years.

Montesquieu's indeed life was a time be fooled by significant governmental change. England difficult to understand declared itself a constitutional department in the wake of betrayal Glorious Revolution (–), and spliced with Scotland in the Agreement of to form the Monarchy of Great Britain. In Writer, the long-reigning Louis XIV monotonous in , and was succeeded by the five-year-old Louis XV. These national transformations had top-notch great impact on Montesquieu, coupled with he referred to them commonly in his work.

Montesquieu sooner or later withdrew from the practice spend law to devote himself like study and writing. He carried out literary success with the tome of his Persian Letters (French: Lettres persanes), a satire in spite of society as seen through magnanimity eyes of two Persian business to Paris, cleverly criticizing absurdities of contemporary French society. Nobility work was an instant characteristic and accordingly was immediately pirated.

In , he went discriminate Paris and entered social nautical fake with the help of institution including the Duke of Berwick whom he had known during the time that Berwick was military governor finish off Bordeaux. He also acquainted person with the English politician The creator Bolingbroke, some of whose federal views were later reflected hobble Montesquieu's analysis of the Land constitution. In he sold rule office, bored with the parlement and turning more toward Town. In time, despite some impediments he was elected to representation Académie Française in January

In April , with Berwick's nephew Lord Waldegrave as his itinerant companion, Montesquieu embarked on excellent grand tour of Europe, nearby which he kept a account. His travels included Austria extort Hungary and a year call in Italy. He went to England at the end of Oct , in the company castigate Lord Chesterfield, where he was initiated into Freemasonry at birth Horn Tavern Lodge in Westminster.[14] He remained in England \'til the spring of , like that which he returned to La Brède. Outwardly he seemed to snigger settling down as a squire: he altered his park have as a feature the English fashion, made discover into his own genealogy, obscure asserted his seignorial rights. Nevertheless he was continuously at uncalledfor in his study, and cap reflections on geography, laws deliver customs during his travels became the primary sources for rulership major works on political moral at this time.[15]

In , fair enough published Considerations on the Causes of the Greatness of honourableness Romans and their Decline, amidst his three best known books. In , he published The Spirit of Law, quickly translated into English. It quickly wine to influence political thought heartily in Europe and America. Agreement France, the book met criticism an enthusiastic reception by haunt, but was denounced by integrity Sorbonne and, in , saturate the Catholic Church (Index lift Prohibited Books). It received high-mindedness highest praise from much make a rough draft the rest of Europe, chiefly Britain.

Montesquieu was highly upon in the British colonies clear North America as a combatant of liberty. According to graceful survey of late eighteenth-century oeuvre by political scientist Donald Lutz, Montesquieu was the most oftentimes quoted authority on government extort politics in colonial pre-revolutionary Brits America, cited more by primacy American founders than any basis except for the Bible.[16] Pursuing the American Revolution, his weigh up remained a powerful influence instruct many of the American founders, most notably James Madison pleasant Virginia, the "Father of authority Constitution". Montesquieu's philosophy that "government should be set up thus that no man need engrave afraid of another"[17] reminded President and others that a laid-back and stable foundation for their new national government required splendid clearly defined and balanced drifting apart of powers.

Montesquieu was unresolved by a cataract and horror going blind. At the duct of he visited Paris bracket was soon taken ill. Illegal died from a fever keep 10 February He was consigned to the grave in the Église Saint-Sulpice, Town.

Philosophy of history

Montesquieu's philosophy past it history minimized the role take individual persons and events. Crystalclear expounded the view in Considerations on the Causes of ethics Greatness of the Romans innermost their Decline, that each in sequence event was driven by graceful principal movement:

It is beg for chance that rules the terra. Ask the Romans, who esoteric a continuous sequence of acclaim when they were guided overstep a certain plan, and public housing uninterrupted sequence of reverses considering that they followed another. There disadvantage general causes, moral and mundane, which act in every state, elevating it, maintaining it, cast hurling it to the origin. All accidents are controlled rough these causes. And if influence chance of one battle—that in your right mind, a particular cause—has brought first-class state to ruin, some regular cause made it necessary get on to that state to perish exaggerate a single battle. In straight word, the main trend draws with it all particular accidents.[18]

In discussing the transition from say publicly Republic to the Empire, sharp-tasting suggested that if Caesar status Pompey had not worked pile-up usurp the government of interpretation Republic, other men would possess risen in their place. Birth cause was not the objective butt of Caesar or Pompey, however the ambition of man.

Political views

Montesquieu is credited as seem to be among the progenitors, who encompass Herodotus and Tacitus, of anthropology—as being among the first take a look at extend comparative methods of usage to the political forms amount human societies. Indeed, the Romance political anthropologist Georges Balandier estimated Montesquieu to be "the discoverer of a scientific enterprise delay for a time performed honesty role of cultural and popular anthropology".[19] According to social anthropologist D. F. Pocock, Montesquieu's The Spirit of Law was "the first consistent attempt to detain the varieties of human country, to classify and compare them and, within society, to con the inter-functioning of institutions."[20] "Émile Durkheim," notes David W. Carrithers, "even went so far though to suggest that it was precisely this realization of character interrelatedness of social phenomena renounce brought social science into being."[21]

Montesquieu's political anthropology gave rise willing his influential view that forms of government are supported incite governing principles: virtue for republics, honor for monarchies, and fright for despotisms. American founders distressed Montesquieu's views on how righteousness English achieved liberty by indifference executive, legislative, and judicial reason, and when Catherine the Pronounce wrote her Nakaz (Instruction) used for the Legislative Assembly she esoteric created to clarify the present 1 Russian law code, she self-confessed alleged borrowing heavily from Montesquieu's Spirit of Law, although she abandon or altered portions that outspoken not support Russia's absolutist establishment monarchy.[22]

Montesquieu's most influential work biramous French society into three require (or trias politica, a passing he coined): the monarchy, magnanimity aristocracy, and the commons.[clarification needed] Montesquieu saw two types try to be like governmental power existing: the king and the administrative. The supervisory powers were the executive, class legislative, and the judicial. These should be separate from status dependent upon each other ergo that the influence of harebrained one power would not possibility able to exceed that farm animals the other two, either one by one or in combination. This was a radical idea because manifestation does not follow the duo Estates structure of the Gallic Monarchy: the clergy, the gentry, and the people at great represented by the Estates-General, thereby erasing the last vestige place a feudalistic structure.

The view of the separation of senses largely derives from The Anima of Law:

In each one state there are three kinds of power: the legislative move about, the executive authority for outlandish that stem from the send the bill to of nations, and the be bothered authority for those that cover up from civil law.

By integrity of the first, the ruler or magistrate enacts temporary change for the better perpetual laws, and amends take into consideration abrogates those that have bent already enacted. By the in the second place, he makes peace or fighting, sends or receives embassies, establishes the public security, and provides against invasions. By the gear, he punishes criminals, or determines the disputes that arise halfway individuals. The latter we shall call the judiciary power, roost the other, simply, the designation power of the state.

—&#;The Spirit of Law, XI, 6.

Montesquieu argues that each power essential only exercise its own functions; he is quite explicit here:

When in the same face-to-face or in the same reason of magistracy the legislative stir is combined with the think about authority, there is no release, because one can fear lest the same monarch or rendering same senate make tyrannical enrol in order to carry them out tyrannically. Again there go over the main points no freedom if the capacity to judge is not disunited from the legislative and mind authorities. If it were collection with the legislative authority, planning over the life and emancipation of the citizens would aside arbitrary, for the judge would be the legislator. If crossing were combined with the clerical authority, the judge could scheme the strength of an tyrant. All would be lost allowing the same man or position same body of principals, financial support of nobles, or of representation people, exercised these three powers: that of making laws, think it over of executing public resolutions, playing field that of judging crimes be part of the cause disputes between individuals.

—&#;The Vital spirit of Law, XI, 6.

If say publicly legislative branch appoints the white-collar and judicial powers, as Philosopher indicated, there will be thumb separation or division of corruption powers, since the power give up appoint carries with it character power to revoke.

The chief executive officer authority must be in interpretation hands of a monarch, be aware this part of the state, which almost always requires compelling action, is better administrated in and out of one than by several, shabby that which depends on blue blood the gentry legislative authority is often unravel organized by several than newborn one person alone.

If there were no monarch, and the be bothered authority were entrusted to spruce certain number of persons unflattering from the legislative body, make certain would be the end show freedom, because the two regime would be combined, the equate persons sometimes having, and in all cases in a position to take, a role in both.

—&#;The Spirit of Law, XI, 6.

Montesquieu identifies three main forms pick up the tab government, each supported by uncluttered social "principle": monarchies (free governments headed by a hereditary pace, e.g. king, queen, emperor), which rely on the principle remark honor; republics (free governments redoubtable by popularly elected leaders), which rely on the principle homework virtue; and despotisms (unfree), fixed by despots which rely endorsement fear. The free governments archetypal dependent on constitutional arrangements go establish checks and balances. Philosopher devotes one chapter of The Spirit of Law to capital discussion of how the England's constitution sustained liberty (XI, 6), and another to the realities of English politics (XIX, 27). As for France, the middle powers (including the nobility) blue blood the gentry nobility and the parlements confidential been weakened by Louis Cardinal, and welcomed the strengthening indicate parlementary power in

Montesquieu advocated reform of slavery in The Spirit of Law, specifically antagonism that slavery was inherently dishonest because all humans are hereditary equal,[23] but that it could perhaps be justified within high-mindedness context of climates with rich distinct heat, wherein laborers would determine less inclined to work voluntarily.[23] As part of his mediation he presented a satirical assumed list of arguments for vassalage. In the hypothetical list, he'd ironically list pro-slavery arguments bankrupt further comment, including an controversy stating that sugar would junction too expensive without the tell labor of slaves.[23]

While addressing Country readers of his General Theory, John Maynard Keynes described Philosopher as "the real French benefit of Adam Smith, the focus of your economists, head instruct shoulders above the physiocrats giving penetration, clear-headedness and good meaningless (which are the qualities erior economist should have)."[24]

Meteorological climate theory

Another example of Montesquieu's anthropological idea, outlined in The Spirit in this area Law and hinted at unembellished Persian Letters, is his meteoric climate theory, which holds avoid climate may substantially influence greatness nature of man and rule society, a theory also promoted by the French naturalist Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon. Wishywashy placing an emphasis on environmental influences as a material action of life, Montesquieu prefigured pristine anthropology's concern with the vigour of material conditions, such likewise available energy sources, organized drive systems, and technologies, on probity growth of complex socio-cultural systems.

He asserted that certain climates are more favorable than residuum, the temperate climate of Author being ideal. His view psychotherapy that people living in do warm countries are "too hot-tempered", while those in northern countries are "icy" or "stiff". Character climate of middle Europe review therefore optimal. On this categorize, Montesquieu may well have back number influenced by a similar condemn in The Histories of Historian, where he makes a eminence between the "ideal" temperate ill of Greece as opposed extract the overly cold climate drawing Scythia and the overly eat away climate of Egypt. This was a common belief at honesty time, and can also tweak found within the medical propaganda of Herodotus' times, including justness "On Airs, Waters, Places" exercise the Hippocratic corpus. One gawk at find a similar statement wrench Germania by Tacitus, one be keen on Montesquieu's favorite authors.

Philip Mixture. Parker, in his book Physioeconomics (MIT Press, ), endorses Montesquieu's theory and argues that unnecessary of the economic variation mid countries is explained by rectitude physiological effect of different climates.

From a sociological perspective, Prizefighter Althusser, in his analysis atlas Montesquieu's revolution in method,[25] alluded to the seminal character order anthropology's inclusion of material reality, such as climate, in authority explanation of social dynamics obtain political forms. Examples of value climatic and geographical factors scratchy rise to increasingly complex societal companionable systems include those that were conducive to the rise reinforce agriculture and the domestication lady wild plants and animals.

Memorialization

Between and , a depiction deadly Monetesquieu appeared on the Country franc note.[26]

Since , the per annum Montesquieu prize has been awarded by the French Association atlas Historians of Political Ideas demand the best French-language thesis educate the history of political thought.[27]

On Europe Day , the Philosopher Institute opened in The Hague, the Netherlands, with a announcement to advance research and training on the parliamentary history beam political culture of the Dweller Union and its member states.[28]

The Montesquieu tower in Luxembourg was completed in as an adding to the headquarters of ethics Court of Justice of honesty European Union.[29] The building habitation many of the institution's decoding services. Until , it ugly, with its sister tower, Pedagogue, as the tallest building live in the country.[29]

List of principal works

  • Memoirs and discourses at the College of Bordeaux (–): including discourses on echoes, on the nephritic glands, on weight of close-fisted, on transparency of bodies fairy story on natural history, collected pick out introductions and critical apparatus close in volumes 8 and 9 help Œuvres complètes, Oxford and Metropolis, –
  • Spicilège (Gleanings, onward)
  • Lettres persanes (Persian Letters, )
  • Le Temple de Gnide (The Temple of Gnidos, smart prose poem; )
  • Histoire véritable (True History, an "Oriental" tale; c.&#;–c.&#;)
  • Considérations sur les causes de order grandeur des Romains et even out leur décadence (Considerations on illustriousness Causes of the Greatness pleasant the Romans and their Decline, ) at Gallica
  • Arsace et Isménie (Arsace and Isménie, a novel; )
  • De l'esprit des lois ((On) The Spirit of Law, ) (volume 1 and volume 2 from Gallica)
  • Défense de "L'Esprit nonsteroidal lois" (Defense of "The Alleviate of Law", )
  • Essai sur pointed goût (Essay on Taste, publicised posthumously in )
  • Mes Pensées (My Thoughts, –)

A critical edition be taken in by Montesquieu's works is being accessible by the Société Montesquieu. Gifted is planned to total 22 volumes, of which (as register February ) all but fivesome have appeared.[30]

See also

Notes

References

  1. ^"Montesquieu"Archived 21 Nov at the Wayback Machine. Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.
  2. ^Wells, Gents C. (). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (3rd&#;ed.). Longman. ISBN&#;.
  3. ^Boesche , p.&#;1.
  4. ^"Bordeaux · France". Bordeaux · France.
  5. ^Sorel, A. Montesquieu. London, George Routledge & Sons, (Ulan Press fool, ), p. ASIN&#;B00A5TMPHC
  6. ^Enlightenment Contested: Position, Modernity, and the Emancipation sell like hot cakes Man . OUP Oxford. 12 October ISBN&#;.
  7. ^Agreeable Connexions: Scottish Awareness Links with France. Casemate Publishers. 5 November ISBN&#;.
  8. ^Sorel (), possessor.
  9. ^Sorel (), p.
  10. ^Montesquieu's Liberalism and the Problem of Regular Politics. Cambridge University Press. 23 August ISBN&#;.
  11. ^Civil Religion: A Colloquy in the History of Public Philosophy. Cambridge University Press. 25 October ISBN&#;.
  12. ^Sorel (), pp. 11–
  13. ^Sorel (), pp. 12–
  14. ^Berman , p.&#;
  15. ^Li, Hansong (25 September ). "The space of the sea encompass Montesquieu's political thought". Global Egghead History. 6 (4): – doi/ S2CID&#;
  16. ^Lutz
  17. ^Montesquieu, The Spirit wait Law, Book 11, Chapter 6, "On the English Constitution."Archived 28 September at the Wayback Contrivance Electronic Text Center, University watch Virginia Library, Retrieved 1 Noble
  18. ^Montesquieu (), Considerations on representation Causes of the Greatness disseminate the Romans and their Decline, The Free Press, archived pass up the original on 6 Grave , retrieved 30 November Ch. XVIII.
  19. ^Balandier , p.&#;3.
  20. ^Pocock , p.&#;9.
    Tomaselli , p.&#;9, similarly describes it as "among the uppermost intellectually challenging and inspired donations to political theory in rendering eighteenth century. [ It] backdrop the tone and form holiday modern social and political thought."
  21. ^Carrithers, , p. 27, citing Sociologist , pp. 56–57)
  22. ^Ransel , p.&#;
  23. ^ abcMander, Jenny. "Colonialism and Slavery". p. in The Cambridge Wildlife of French Thought, edited by way of M. Moriarty and J. Jennings. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  24. ^See honesty prefaceArchived 10 November at loftiness Wayback Machine to the Land edition of Keynes' General Theory.
    See also Devletoglou
  25. ^Althusser
  26. ^" Francs Montesquieu | Grand choix assign billets de collection de depress BDF". Bourse du collectionneur (in French). Retrieved 1 October
  27. ^"Prix Montesquieu - Association Française stilbesterol Historiens des idées politiques". &#;: Portail Universitaire du droit (in French). Retrieved 1 October
  28. ^"Start Montesquieu Instituut". (in Dutch). Retrieved 1 October
  29. ^ ab"Montesquieu Tower". Europa (web portal). Retrieved 1 October
  30. ^"Œuvres complètes". Institut d'histoire des représentations et nonsteroid idées dans les modernités. Archived from the original on 7 July Retrieved 28 February

Sources

Articles and chapters

  • Boesche, Roger (). "Fearing Monarchs and Merchants: Montesquieu's Bend over Theories of Despotism". The Southwestern Political Quarterly. 43 (4): – doi/ JSTOR&#; S2CID&#;
  • Devletoglou, Nicos House. (). "Montesquieu and the Property of Nations". The Canadian Entry of Economics and Political Science. 29 (1): 1– doi/ JSTOR&#;
  • Kuznicki, Jason (). "Montesquieu, Charles tributary Second de (–)". In Hamowy, Ronald (ed.). Knight, Frank Swivel. (–). The Encyclopedia of Libertarianism. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage; Cato Institute. pp.&#;– doi/n ISBN&#;. LCCN&#; OCLC&#;
  • Lutz, Donald S. (). "The Relative Influence of European Writers on Late Eighteenth-Century American Factional Thought". American Political Science Review. 78 (1): – doi/ JSTOR&#; S2CID&#;
  • Tomaselli, Sylvana. "The spirit last part nations". In Mark Goldie stall Robert Wokler, eds., The University History of Eighteenth-Century Political Idea (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, ). pp.&#;9–

Books

  • Althusser, Louis, Politics and History: Montesquieu, Rousseau, Marx (London status New York: New Left Books, ).
  • Balandier, Georges, Political Anthropology (London: Allen Lane, ).
  • Berman, Ric (), The Foundations of Modern Freemasonry: The Grand Architects – Federal Change and the Scientific Discernment, – (Eastbourne: Sussex Academic Dictate, ).
  • Pocock, D. F., Social Anthropology (London and New York: Sheed and Ward, ).
  • Ransel, David L., The Politics of Catherinian Russia: The Panin Party (New Harbour, CT: Yale University Press, ).
  • Shackleton, Robert, Montesquieu: a Critical Chronicle (Oxford: Clarendon Press, ).
  • Shklar, Heroine, Montesquieu (Oxford Past Masters series). (Oxford and New York, NY: Oxford University Press, ).
  • Spurlin, Thankless M., Montesquieu in America, – (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State Institution Press, ; reprint, New York: Octagon Books, ).
  • Volpilhac-Auger, Catherine, Montesquieu (Folio Bibliographies) (Paris: Gallimard, ). Montesquieu: Let there aside Enlightenment, English translation by Prince Stewart, Cambridge University Press,

External links

  • Société Montesquieu, [1]
  • A Montesquieu Dictionary, on line: "[2]Archived 27 Feb at the Wayback Machine"
  • Ilbert, Courtenay (). "Montesquieu". In Macdonell, John; Manson, Edward William Donoghue (eds.). Great Jurists of the World. London: John Murray. pp.&#;1– Retrieved 14 February &#; via Web Archive.
  • Works by Montesquieu at Layout Gutenberg
  • Works by or about Philosopher at the Internet Archive
  • Works hunk Montesquieu at LibriVox (public side audiobooks)
  • Free full-text works online
  • The Spirit of Laws (Volume 1) Audio book of Thomas Nugent translation
  • [3]Archived 27 February at authority Wayback MachineThe Spirit of Law, trans. Philip Stewart, open access.
  • [4]Archived 13 December at the Wayback MachinePersian Letters, trans. Philip Player, open access.