About
Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu, was a major Enlightenment thinker. Trained as a magistrate, he served in the Parlement of Bordeaux before devoting himself to writing. His satirical epistolary novel Persian Letters (1721) brought him fame. In The Spirit of the Laws (1748), he analyzed forms of government and theorized the separation of powers, profoundly influencing modern political thought. Elected to the Académie Française in 1728, he traveled across Europe observing institutions. His work, critical of the abuses of his time, contributed to the rise of liberal ideas.
* 1689-01-18 — † 1755-02-10
Major works
- Lettres persanes (1721)epistolary novel
- Considérations sur les causes de la grandeur des Romains et de leur décadence (1734)historical essay
- De l'esprit des lois (1748)political treatise
- Défense de L'Esprit des lois (1750)essay
- Essai sur le goûtessay
Key milestones
- 1716Becomes président à mortier in the Parlement of Bordeaux.
- 1728Elected to the Académie Française.
- 1748Publication of The Spirit of the Laws in Geneva.
Themes
separation of powerspolitical libertycritique of absolute monarchyinfluence of climate and customsreligious tolerance
Sources: britannica.com · academie-francaise.fr