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10 - Political Sovereignty in Montesquieu

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 February 2023

By
Sharon R. Krause
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

Chapter 10 picks up with an exploration of sovereignty. This chapter will offer an analysis of the meaning and practices of political sovereignty with a focus on Montesquieu’s seminal treatment of the English constitution, where sovereignty is ambiguous and divided in ways that are constitutively connected to liberty. The chapter considers Montesquieu’s treatment of sovereignty in the context of other major modern theories of sovereignty and its relevance for contemporary liberal democratic states.

Keywords

MontesquieuEnlightenmentliberalismpolitical thoughtlibertyreligionslaverysovereigntycosmopolitanismvirtueconstitutionalism
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Companion to Montesquieu , pp. 162 - 181
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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