Montesquieu

Enlightenment thinker who formulated the doctrine of the separation of powers; author of The Spirit of the Laws.

Life

Bordeaux magistrate

Montesquieu came from a noble family of Bordeaux and inherited his uncle's post as president of the Parlement of Bordeaux. In 1721 he anonymously published Persian Letters, satirizing French society and autocratic rule through the voices of two Persian travelers, and became famous overnight.

Persian Letters

He traveled through the countries of Europe and lived in England for two years, where he was deeply influenced by English constitutional government. In 1748 he published The Spirit of the Laws, comparing the forms of government of various countries and proposing the separation of legislative, executive and judicial powers, with checks and balances among them, to prevent the abuse of power.

Separation of powers

The book was placed on the Church's list of banned books, yet it circulated widely in Europe and the Americas and had a profound influence on the U.S. Constitution. He died in Paris in 1755.

Legacy

The separation of powers became one of the basic principles of modern constitutional states.

Major works & achievements

• Persian Letters
• The Spirit of the Laws

Did you know? In the late Qing, Yan Fu translated The Spirit of the Laws into Chinese as Fa Yi.

Key dates

• 1716Succeeds as president of the Parlement of Bordeaux
• 1721Publishes Persian Letters
• 1729Lives in England
• 1748Publishes The Spirit of the Laws
• 1755Died