Montesquieu quotes - page 4

Men, who are rogues individually, are in the mass very honorable people. (Montesquieu)
There are three species of government: republican, monarchical, and despotic.
Montesquieu
Although born in a prosperous realm, we did not believe that its boundaries should limit our knowledge, and that the lore of the East should alone enlighten us.
Montesquieu
They who assert that a blind fatality produced the various effects we behold in this world talk very absurdly; for can anything be more unreasonable than to pretend that a blind fatality could be productive of intelligent beings?
Montesquieu
Liberty is the right to do what the law permits.
Montesquieu
As soon as man enters into a state of society he loses the sense of his weakness; equality ceases, and then commences the state of war.
Montesquieu
Power ought to serve as a check to power.
Montesquieu
Society is the union of men and not the men themselves.
Montesquieu
When the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person, or in the same body of magistrates, there can be no liberty; because apprehensions may arise, lest the same monarch or senate should enact tyrannical laws, to execute them in a tyrannical manner.
Montesquieu
The state of slavery is in its own nature bad.
Montesquieu
When the body of the people is possessed of the supreme power, it is called a democracy. (Montesquieu)
Democratic and aristocratic states are not in their own nature free. Political liberty is to be found only in moderate governments; and even in these it is not always found. It is there only when there is no abuse of power. But constant experience shows us that every man who has power is inclined to abuse it; he goes until he finds limits. Is it not strange, though true, to say that virtue itself has need of limits?. To prevent this abuse, it is necessary that, by the arrangement of things, power shall stop power.
Montesquieu
Success in the majority of circumstances depends on knowing how long it takes to succeed.
Montesquieu
We must have constantly present in our minds the difference between independence and liberty. Liberty is a right of doing whatever the laws permit, and if a citizen could do what they forbid he would no longer be possessed of liberty.
Montesquieu
A nation may lose its liberties in a day and not miss them in a century.
Montesquieu
In the state of nature... all men are born equal, but they cannot continue in this equality. Society makes them lose it, and they recover it only by the protection of the law.
Montesquieu
The object of war is victory; that of victory is conquest; and that of conquest preservation.
Montesquieu
The deterioration of a government begins almost always by the decay of its principles.
Montesquieu