He gained fame with his Persian Letters, which criticized the lifestyle and liberties of the wealthy French as well as the church. But his most famous work was the book On the Spirit of Laws.
Montesquieu believed that all things were made up of rules or laws that never changed.
He argued that the best government would be one in which power was balanced among three groups of officials. He thought England - which divided power between the king,Parliament, and the judges of the English courts. Caelled the idea of dividing government power into three branches the "separation of powers." He thought it most important to create separate branches of government with equal but different powers. That way, the government would avoid placing too much power with one individual or group of individuals. He wrote, "When the [law making] and [law enforcement] powers are united in the same person... there can be no liberty." According to Montesquieu, each branch of government could limit the power of the other two branches. Therefore, no branch of the government could threaten the freedom of the people.
He also felt that women did have the ability to govern. "It is against reason and against nature for women to be mistresses in the house... but not for them to govern an empire. In the first case, their weak state does not permit them to be preeminent; in the second, their very weakness gives them more gentleness and moderation, which, rather than the harsh and ferocious virtues, can make for a good environment." In this way, Montesquieu argued that women were too weak to be in control at home, but that there calmness and gentleness would be helpful qualities in making decisions in government.
4 comments:
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Thanks
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