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1 - Montesquieu

Life and Letters

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 February 2023

By
Paul A. Rahe
Edited by
Keegan Francis Callanan  and
Sharon Ruth Krause
Keegan Francis Callanan
Affiliation:
Middlebury College, Vermont
Sharon Ruth Krause
Affiliation:
Brown University, Rhode Island
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Summary

How did Montesquieu, born into a noble family in rural Bourdeaux, become a world-historical figure? In what particulars was he a man of his own times? That he lived when he did and where he did is obvious. How he managed to escape the limitations imposed upon him by time and place is not. The volume opens with a chapter introducing the reader to the development of Montesquieu’s thought throughout his literary and philosophical career. The essay will situate this account within the relevant biographical and historical context. It will consider the relationship between the major works and pursue insights into Montesquieu’s intellectual development derived from the study of minor works such as his Reflections on Universal Monarchy in Europe and Pensées.

Keywords

MontesquieuEnlightenmentliberalismpolitical thoughtlibertyreligionslaverysovereigntycosmopolitanismvirtueconstitutionalismbiography
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Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Companion to Montesquieu , pp. 1 - 19
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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