Montesquieu: The Spirit of the Laws (Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought) - Softcover

Montesquieu, Charles De

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0521369746 ISBN 13: 9780521369749

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 1989

Synopsis

The Spirit of the Laws is without question one of the central texts in the history of eighteenth-century thought, yet there has been no complete scholarly English language edition since 1750. This lucid translation renders Montesquieu's problematic text newly accessible to a fresh generation of students, helping them to understand why Montesquieu was such an important figure in the early enlightenment and why The Spirit of the Laws was such an influence on those who framed the American Constitution. Fully annotated, this edition focuses on Montesquieu's use of sources and his text as a whole, rather than on those opening passages toward which critical energies have traditionally been devoted.

About this title

About the Author:

BARON DE MONTESQUIEU (1689-1755) was a French jurist, satirist, and political and social philosopher during the Enlightenment. His most well-known work, The Spirit of Laws, profoundly influenced European and American political thought and was relied on by the framers of the US Constitution.

Language Notes:

Text: English, French (translation)

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 1989
• ISBN 10: 0521369746
• ISBN 13: 9780521369749
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 808
• Editor: Cohler Anne M., Miller Basia Carolyn, Stone Harold Samuel