Inspirational Quotations

Inspirational Quotes by Montesquieu (French Political Philosopher)

Montesquieu (1689–1755,) fully Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu, was a French philosopher and jurist. The first of the great French men of letters connected with the Enlightenment, his major work, The Spirit of Laws, was a leading contribution to political theory.

Born at the Château de la Brede, near Bordeaux, Montesquieu became the counselor of the Parlement of Bordeaux 1714 and its president 1716. He performed the duties of his office faithfully until his poor eyesight hindered him. He first gained renown with the publication of his Lettres Persanes (1721; Persian Letters,) a satire of French society from the viewpoint of two Persian travelers visiting Paris.

Montesquieu’s standing rests chiefly on L’Esprit des lois (1748; The Spirit of Laws, 1750,) a comparative study of political systems in which he championed the separation of judicial, legislative, and executive powers as being most conducive to individual liberty, holding up the English state as a model. He contended that an individual’s liberty needed protection from the arm of power, checking that by another power. Where judicial, executive, and legislative powers were concentrated in the hands of one figure, there could be no individual liberty. His political philosophies were highly influential in Europe in the late 18th century, as they were in the drafting of the American Constitution.

Montesquieu’s other works include Lysimaque (1748) and Arsace et Isménie (1930; (The True History of) Arsace and Isménie,) a romance, and an essay on taste (“Gout”) in the Encyclopédie (1751–80.) A member of the Académie Française from 1728, he died completely blind.

More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Montesquieu

Law should be like death, which spares no one.
—Montesquieu
Topics: Law

To become truly great, one has to stand with people, not above them.
—Montesquieu
Topics: Greatness

Knowledge humanizes mankind, and reason inclines to mildness, but prejudices eradicate every tender disposition.
—Montesquieu
Topics: Prejudice

Liberty is the right to do what the laws allow; and if a citizen could do what they forbid, it would be no longer liberty, because others would have the same powers.
—Montesquieu
Topics: Liberty

The life of states is like that of men. The latter have the right of killing in self-defence; the former to make wars for their own preservation.
—Montesquieu
Topics: War

But constant experience shows us that every man invested with power is apt to abuse it, and to carry his authority as far as it will go.
—Montesquieu
Topics: Authority

False happiness renders men stern and proud, and that happiness is never communicated. True happiness renders them kind and sensible, and that happiness is always shared.
—Montesquieu
Topics: Happiness

What too many orators want in depth, they give you in length.
—Montesquieu

As the general rule in constitutional states liberty is a compensation for the heaviness of taxation, and in despotic states the equivalent for liberty is the lightness of taxation.
—Montesquieu
Topics: Taxes

There is no nation so powerful, as the one that obeys its laws not from principals of fear or reason, but from passion.
—Montesquieu
Topics: Law, Lawyers

There are bad examples that are worse than crimes; and more states have perished from the violation of morality than from the violation of law.
—Montesquieu
Topics: Example

Those who have but little business to attend to, are great talkers. The less men think, the more they talk.
—Montesquieu
Topics: Conversation, Talking

The sacred books of the ancient Persians say: If you would be holy instruct your children, because all the good acts they perform will be imputed to you.
—Montesquieu
Topics: Parents

Some men will believe nothing but what they can comprehend; and there are but few things that such are able to comprehend.
—Montesquieu

Friendship is an arrangement by which we undertake to exchange small favors for big ones.
—Montesquieu
Topics: Friends and Friendship

Politeness is a mixture of discretion, civility, complaisance, and circumspection spread over all we do and say.
—Montesquieu
Topics: Politeness

Commerce is the cure for the most destructive prejudices.
—Montesquieu

Imperfect enjoyment is attended with regret; a surfeit of pleasure with disgust. There is a certain nick of time, a certain medium to be observed, with which few people are acquainted.
—Montesquieu
Topics: Enjoyment

If triangles made a god, they would give him three sides.
—Montesquieu
Topics: God

Political liberty is to be found only in moderate governments.
—Montesquieu
Topics: Liberty

Useless laws weaken the necessary laws.
—Montesquieu
Topics: Lawyers, Law

The love of country produces good manners; and good manners, love of country.—The less we satisfy our individual passions, the more we leave to our general.
—Montesquieu
Topics: Patriotism

The censure of those who are opposed to us, is the highest commendation that can be given us.
—Montesquieu
Topics: Censorship

Each citizen contributes to the revenues of the State a portion of his property in order that his tenure of the rest may be secure.
—Montesquieu
Topics: Taxes

The culminating point of administration is to know well how much power, great or small, we ought to use in all circumstances.
—Montesquieu
Topics: Government

Man is a social animal, formed to please and enjoy in society.
—Montesquieu
Topics: Society

I never listen to calumnies; because, if they are untrue, I run the risk of being deceived; and if they are true, of hating persons not worth thinking about.
—Montesquieu

The success of most things depends upon knowing how long it will take to succeed.
—Montesquieu
Topics: Success

Raillery is a mode of speaking in favor of one’s wit against one’s good nature.
—Montesquieu

I have ever held it a maxim, never to do through another what it was possible for me to do myself.
—Montesquieu
Topics: Self-reliance

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