Charles de Montesquieu
Charles de Montesquieu
Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu, generally referred to as simply Montesquieu, was a French lawyer, man of letters, and political philosopher who lived during the Age of Enlightenment. He is famous for his articulation of the theory of separation of powers, which is implemented in many constitutions throughout the world. He is also known for doing more than any other author to secure the place of the word despotism in the political lexicon...
NationalityFrench
ProfessionPhilosopher
Date of Birth18 January 1689
CountryFrance
To become truly great, one has to stand with people, not above them.
There is no one, says another, whom fortune does not visit once in his life; but when she does not find him ready to receive her, she walks in at the door, and flies out at the window.
Lunch kills half of Paris, supper the other half.
Author: A fool who, not content with having bored those who have lived with him, insists on tormenting generations to come.
An empire founded by war has to maintain itself by war.
Success in the majority of circumstances depends on knowing how long it takes to succeed.
I have never known any distress that an hour's reading did not relieve.
A nation may lose its liberties in a day and not miss them in a century.
We must have constantly present in our minds the difference between independence and liberty. Liberty is a right of doing whatever the laws permit, and if a citizen could do what they forbid he would no longer be possessed of liberty.
The sublimity of administration consists in knowing the proper degree of power that should be exerted on different occasions.
The less men think, the more they talk.
The severity of the laws prevents their execution.
What orators lack in depth they make up for in length.