Spirit of the Laws
Montesquieu
Appears in 14 ideas
Politics/Ethics
Politics
- GovernmentWhat makes government legitimate, and what form should it take?
- DemocracyIs rule by the people the best regime, or the most dangerous?
- StateWhat is the state, and does it exist for the sake of its citizens or they for it?
- WealthWhat is wealth, and how should it be produced, distributed, and used?
- RevolutionWhen, if ever, is the violent overthrow of an established order justified?
- TyrannyWhat makes a government tyrannical, and what remedy, if any, do the oppressed possess?
- SlaveryIs slavery ever just, and what does the institution reveal about equality, freedom, and the limits of political community?
- ConstitutionWhat is a constitution, and how does fundamental law differ from the ordinary legislation of a government?
- MonarchyIs government by one man the best or the worst form of rule, and can monarchical power be reconciled with liberty?
- AristocracyShould the best rule, and how is aristocracy distinguished from oligarchy?
- OligarchyWhat happens when political power follows wealth, and is the rule of the rich ever legitimate?