"All those who have power are apt to abuse their power for their own personal gain; The purpose of education in all the countries is to try to lower the minds of the people. ”This was his warning 300 years ago, and it has become a well-known phrase today.
He is the founder of the theory of geography and history; He was the master of the Enlightenment who enlightened David Hume and Adam Smith; His ideas also influenced many of the founding fathers of the United States, directly creating the ...... of the United States of America
He was the French thinker Montesquieu, who diedHe was born on February 10, 1975, but we still miss him because of his contribution to modern civilization, which is at least reflected in the "four firsts".
The first to propose a feasible plan for checks and balances of power- "Separation of powers".
Since the advent of politics, nothing has done more harm to humanity than unfettered power. As the British historian Acton said, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
In fact, Montesquieu, who was a century before Acton, pointed out in "On the Spirit of the Law":It is an eternal experience that all those who have power are prone to abuse power; People with power use power until they reach a boundary.
Therefore, Montesquieu proposed that in order to prevent the abuse of power and protect the political freedom of citizens, it is necessary to separate and balance powers. There are three kinds of powers in every countryThe legislative, executive and judicial powers must be divided into three independent bodies – this is the famous "separation of powers".
The founding principles of the American Constitutional Convention and Sun Yat-sen, all derived from Montesquieu's idea.
And all the countries that oppose this principle have become the worst politics. Because once there is an imbalance or collusion between the three powers, the barrier of freedom will disappear. The French Revolution, Hitler's Third Reich, and all other totalitarian systems of all kinds were transformed into efficient and terrifying machines because of the abolition of the separation of powers.
All modern people who love freedom should bear in mind Montesquieu's warning and cherish his intellectual legacy.
The first points to geographyThe profound influence of the environment on the national character and political system
Jarred Diamond, author of the world-famous book "Guns, Germs and Steel", believes that the reason why Eurasian civilization has been able to continue and eliminate other cultures is because of its unique geographical environmentSuitable latitude, climate, large amount of land, rivers, abundant domesticable species.
In fact, this discourse of "cultural ecology" is only a continuation of a branch of Montesquieu's thought. Montesquieu pointed out early on that geography has a profound impact on a nation's character, customs, and especially legal and political systems.
He placed particular emphasis on the role of climate. For example, hot climates often lead to laziness and weakness; Ethnic groups in cold regions tend to be very tough and sensitive to freedom because of their harsh environment. So in Eurasia, it is almost always the peoples of the north who conquer the peoples of the south.
Montesquieu's thought not only broadens the reader's horizon of examining history, but also precipitates the political wisdom of respecting tradition and prudent change.
The first one is to justify the name of the businessthinkers
In most historical periods, business, commerce was not a term of glory. The political cultures of both the East and the West are full of discrimination and restrictions on business.
In ancient times, there was a policy of valuing agriculture and suppressing business, and there were sayings such as "no business, no treachery", "no benevolence for the rich", etc. The Bible says, "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." "Until the Renaissance, the play The Merchant of Venice vilified the merchants.
A still from The Merchant of Venice.
Montesquieu was the first political philosopher to explicitly affirm business and praise it. He said:"Business can be the most destructive bias. Where there are good customs, there is commerce; Where there is commerce, there are good customs, which is almost a universal rule." This insight is not only profound, but also extremely forward-looking.
Twenty years after Montesquieu's death, Adam Smith published The Wealth of Nations, in which he made the same view: "Commerce is not only intimately connected with virtue, but is a messenger of peace; ** Do not cross the border, the soldier crosses the border".
The modern world has repeatedly verified Montesquieu's foresightThe degree of financial openness of a country or city is equal to the degree of civilization and wealth.
The first thinker to question the "Eastern model".
Around the 18th century, Oriental goods, art and ideas were widely introduced to Europe, satisfying the romantic imagination of Europeans and triggering an inexplicable "Oriental fever".
British newspapers and parliamentarians, when ridiculing the government, often cited the East as a "great, prosperous, and stable" authority. Even Enlightenment thinkers such as Voltaire praised the "authoritarian regime" of the East.
But Montesquieu, in his book On the Spirit of the Law, was the first to give a prophetic insight:The imperial power of the East** was "built on the foolishness and fear of the people", could neither maintain internal order nor cope with external crises, and would inevitably be replaced by more advanced civilizations.
Montesquieu pointed out that ancient Chinese legislators blended religion, law, and people's feelings, thus forming a religion of etiquette. RitesThe main goal is to maintain the peace of the empire, and for this it is necessary to make each person innumerable in his or her own way, none of whom can become independent individuals.
Montesquieu's profound insight into the Oriental tradition is undoubtedly of great significance to a country that is in the transition of modern civilization.
There are usually two ways to understand a person's thoughts: one is to read his writings directly, and the other is to read his biography and feel the formation and changes of his thoughts in the course of his life.
For this reason, I sincerely recommend Montesquieu's classic "On the Spirit of Law", which he left to world civilization; The only "Biography of Montesquieu" on the market; and Montesquieu's Critical Biography, a biography of Montesquieu's life and scholarship.
"On the Spirit of the Law":In the book, the author expounds on the theory of natural law, law and the definition of law, the relationship between law and polity, as well as the classification of polities, the nature and principles of various polities, and so on. He expounded the doctrine of political freedom and separation of powers, and put forward the political proposition of a constitutional monarchy with the example of the United Kingdom. This paper discusses the relationship between natural conditions and political law, and argues that the natural geographical environment has a great constraint on the social, political and legal system. It discusses the relationship between law and industry, commerce, currency, population and religion, advocates the establishment of industry and commerce, the development of industry, opposes arbitrary expropriation, and promotes international exchanges and world peace. It also discusses the origins and changes of Roman succession law and French civil law. Emphasis was placed on the strict distinction between the scope of various legal provisions and the principles that should be followed in the formulation of laws and the issues that should be paid attention to.
The Biography of Montesquieu:Deglaf is an expert on Montesquieu, and this biography is his masterpiece on Montesquieu's life and thought, and it is of high academic value.
Montesquieu's Commentary:This book is a commentary on Montesquieu's life and scholarship. On the one hand, the author clearly outlines Montesquieu's detailed life experience as a president, academician, wine operator, frequent visitor to the Paris salon, traveler, and thinker, showing his rich sense of practical experience and political experience that is different from that of Enlightenment philosophers such as Rousseau and Voltaire. On the other hand, the author uses manuscripts and other first-hand documents, and compares various handwritings, to clearly analyze and restore the creative process of the three works of "Persian Letters", "On the Causes of the Rise and Fall of Rome", and "On the Spirit of Law", presenting Montesquieu's prudent and steady ideological system.
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