Montesquieu Quotes

A man who writes well writes not as others write, but as he himself writes; it is often in speaking badly that he speaks well.

إذا رأت قوانين دولة معاناة أديان كثيرة وجب عليها أن تلزم هذه الأديان بالتسامح نحو بعضها بعضًا، ومن المبادئ أن يصبح كل دين مزجور زاجرًا، وذلك أنه إذا استطاع الخروج من دائرة الضغط مصادفة لم يلبث أن يهاجم الدين الذي ضغطه عن طغيان، لا عن دين. ومن المفيد، إذن أن تطلب القوانين من هذه الأديان المختلفة ألا يكدر بعضها صفو بعض فضلًا عن عدم تكدير صفو الدولة، ولا يعد المواطن مطيعًا للقوانين مطلقًا باقتصاره على عدم تكدير كيان الدولة، بل يجب عليه أيضًا، ألا يكدر أحدًا من المواطنين أيًّا كان.

When the savages of Louisiana are desirous of fruit, they cut the tree to the root and gather the fruit. This is an emblem of despotic government.

a conqueror, I say, can change the course of everything, and muffled tyranny is the first thing which is liable to violence.

MOST legislators have been men of inferior capacity whom chance exalted over their fellows, and who took counsel almost exclusively of their own prejudices and whims.

It would seem that they had not even a sense of the greatness and dignity of their work: they amused themselves by framing childish institutions, well devised indeed to please small minds, but discrediting their authors with people of sense.

They flung themselves into useless details; and gave their attention to individual interests: the sign of the narrow genius, which grasps things piecemeal and cannot take a general view.

Some of them have been so affected as to employ another language than the vernacular-a ridiculous thing in a framer of laws; for how can they be obeyed if they are not known?

They have often abolished needlessly those which were already established-that is to say, they have plunged nations into the confusion which always accompanies change.

It is true that, by reason of some extravagance springing rather from the nature than from the mind of man, it is sometimes necessary to change certain laws. But the case is rare; and when it happens it requires the most delicate handling; much solemnity ought to be observed, and endless precautions taken, in order to lead the people to the natural conclusion that the laws are most sacred, since so many formalities are necessary to their abrogation.

Often they have made them too subtle, following logical instead of natural equity. As a consequence such laws have been found too severe; and a spirit of justice required that they should be set aside; but the cure was as bad as the disease. Whatever the laws may be, obedience to them is necessary; they are to be regarded as the public conscience, with which all private consciences ought to be in conformity.

(Letter #79)

[92] Plato, in his fourth book of Laws, says that the præfectures of music and gymnic exercises are the most important employments in the city; and, in his Republic, iii, Damon will tell you, says he, what sounds are capable of corrupting the mind with base sentiments, or of inspiring the contrary virtues.

Government should be set up so that no man need be afraid of another.

"تحدث مونتسكييو في كتاب "روح القانون" عن أثر المناخ والتربة في حياة الإنسان:

1- المناخ:

المناخ البارد: شجاعة- نقاء النفس- قوة جسدية.

المناخ الحار: جبن- مكر- ضعف.

2- التربة:

يصل تأثير التربة إلى الحد السياسي ونوع الحكومات:

- التربة الخصبة = نظام ملكي وديكتاتورية.

- التربة الفقيرة = نظام جمهوري وديمقراطية.

- سكان الجزر = الاستقلالية والاستقرار."

"A person of my acquaintance said: . . .

"Study has always been for me the sovereign remedy against life's unpleasantness, since I have never experienced any sorrow that an hour's reading did not eliminate.

Another much-discussed question is, whether women are intended by nature to be subject to men.“No,” said a very gallant philosopher to me the other day; “nature never dictated any such law.The dominion which we exercise over them is tyrannical; they yield themselves to men only because they are more tender-hearted, and consequently more human and more rational.These advantages, which, had we been reasonable, would, without doubt, have been the cause of their subordination, because we are irrational.

“Now, if it is true that it is a tyrannical power which we have over women, it is none the less true that they exercise over us a natural dominion- that of beauty, which nothing can resist.Our power does not extend to all countries, but that of beauty is universal.Why, then, should we have any privilege?Is it because we are stronger than they?But that would be the height of injustice.We use every possible means to discourage them.Our powers would be found equal if we were educated alike.Try women in those gifts which education has not weakened, and we soon will see which is the abler sex.

We are so blind that we know neither when to mourn, nor when to rejoice; our mirth and our sadness are nearly always false.

Aimer lire, c'est faire un échange des heures d'ennui contre des heures délicieuses.

إن القانون على العموم هو الموجب البشري ما سيطر على أمم الأرض طُرًّا، ولا ينبغي للقوانين السياسية والمدنية في كل أمة أن تكون غير الأحوال الخاصة التي يطبق عليه الموجب البشري … ويجب أن تكون تلك القوانين خاصة بطبيعة البلد، خاصة بالإقليم البارد أو الحار أو المعتدل، وبطبيعة الأرض وموقعها واتساعها، وبجنس حياة الأمم أو الزراع أو الصائدين أو الرعاة، ويجب أن تناسب درجة الحرية التي يمكن أن يبيحها النظام، ودين الأهلين وعواطفهم وغناهم وعددهم وتجارتهم وطبائعهم ومناهجهم … وهذا ما أحاول صنعه في هذا الكتاب، فأبحث في جميع هذه الصلات، وهي التي يتألف من مجموعها ما يسمى روح الشرائع.

[An author is] a fool who, not content with boring everyone around him during his lifetime, insists on boring generations yet to come.

Zeal for the advancement of religion is different from a due attachment to it; and that in order to love it and fulfill its behests, it is not necessary to hate and persecute those who are opposed to it.