Montesquieu's Science of Politics Essays on The Spirit of Laws

by Carrithers, David W.; Mosher, Michael A.; Rahe, Paul A.; Courtney, Cecil; Rahe. Michael A. Mosher. Sharon Krause, Paul A.; Kingston, Rebecca E.; Larrere, Catherine; Cox, Iris

• ISBN13: 9780742511804
• ISBN10: 0742511804
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-12-20
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Summary

In what constitutes the only English-language collection of essays ever dedicated to the analysis of Montesquieu's contributions to political science, the contributors review some of the most vexing controversies that have arisen in the interpretation of Montesquieu's thought. By paying careful attention to the historical, political, and philosophical contexts of Montesquieu's ideas, the contributors provide fresh readings of The Spirit of Laws, clarify the goals and ambitions of its author, and point out the pertinence of his thinking to the problems of our world today.

Table of Contents

Note on Bibliographical References	ix
Introduction: An Appreciation of The Spirit of Laws	1	(40)
David W. Carrithers
Montesquieu and Natural Law	41	(28)
C.P. Courtney
Forms of Government: Structure, Principle, Object, and Aim	69	(40)
Paul A. Rahe
Democratic and Aristocratic Republics: Ancient and Modern	109	(50)
David W. Carrithers
Monarchy's Paradox: Honor in the Face of Sovereign Power	159	(72)
Michael A. Mosher
Despotism in the Spirit of Laws	231	(42)
Sharon Krause
Montesquieu and English Liberty	273	(18)
C.P. Courtney
Montesquieu and the Liberal Philosophy of Jurisprudence	291	(44)
David W. Carrithers
Montesquieu on Economics and Commerce	335	(40)
Catherine Larrere
Montesquieu on Religion and on the Question of Toleration	375	(34)
Rebecca E. Kingston
Montesquieu and the History of Laws	409	(22)
Iris Cox
Index	431	(26)
About the Contributors	457