Best 197 quotes of Baron De Montesquieu on MyQuotes

A fondness for reading changes the inevitable dull hours of our life into exquisite hours of delight.

A good writer does not write as people write, but as he writes.

A love of the republic in a democracy is a love of the democracy, as the latter is that of equality. A love of the democracy is likewise that of frugality. Since every individual ought here to enjoy the same happiness, and the same advantages, they should consequently taste the same pleasures and form the same hopes, which cannot be expected but from a general frugality.

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.

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.

A nation may lose its liberties in a day and not miss them in a century.

An author is a fool who, not content with boring those he lives with, insists on boring future generations.

An empire founded by war has to maintain itself by war.

An injustice committed against anyone is a threat to everyone.

A prince who loves and fears religion is a lion who stoops to the hand that strokes or to the voice that appeases him. He who fears and hates religion is like the savage beast that growls and bites the chain, which prevents his flying on the passenger. He who has no religion at all is that terrible animal who perceives his liberty only when he tears in pieces, and when he devours.

A rational army would run away.

A really intelligent man feels what other men only know.

As men are affected in all ages by the same passions, the occasions which bring about great changes are different, but the causes are always the same.

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.

As virtue is necessary in a republic, and honor in a monarchy, fear is what is required in a despotism. As for virtue, it is not at all necessary, and honor would be dangerous there.

At our coming into the world we contract an immense debt to our country, which we can never discharge.

Better it is to say that the government most comfortable to nature is that which best agrees with the humor and disposition of the people in whose favor it is established.

Brutes are deprived of the high advantages which we have; but they have some which we have not. They have not our hopes, but theyare without our fears; they are subject like us to death, but without knowing it; even most of them are more attentive than we to self-preservation, and do not make so bad a use of their passions.

But constant experience shows us that every man invested with power is apt to abuse it, and to carry his authority as far as it will go.

Certain kinds of foolishness are such that a greater foolishness would be better.

Christianity stamped its character on jurisprudence; for empire has ever a connection with the priesthood.

Christians are beginning to lose the spirit of intolerance which animated them: experience has shown the error of the expulsion of the Jews from Spain, and of the persecution of those Christians in France whose belief differed a little from that of the king. They have realized that zeal for the advancement of religion is different from a due attachment to it; and that in order to love it and fulfil its behests, it is not necessary to hate and persecute those who are opposed to it.

Coffee renders many foolish people temporarily capable of wise actions

Countries are well cultivated, not as they are fertile, but as they are free.

Countries are not cultivated in proportion to their fertility, but to their liberty.

Democracy has two excesses to avoid: the spirit of inequality, which leads to an aristocracy, or to the government of a single individual; and the spirit of extreme equality, which conducts it to despotism, as the despotism of a single individual finishes by conquest.

Democracy is corrupted not only when the spirit of equality is corrupted, but likewise when they fall into a spirit of extreme equality.

Each citizen contributes to the revenues of the State a portion of his property in order that his tenure of the rest may be secure.

Each particular society begins to feel its strength, whence arises a state of war between different nations.

Europe is a state with several provinces

Ever since the invention of gunpowder.. I continually tremble lest men should, in the end, uncover some secret which would provide a short way of abolishing mankind, of annihilating peoples and nations in their entirety.

Every man who has power is impelled to abuse it.

Experience constantly proves that every man who has power is impelled to abuse it; he goes on till he is pulled up by some limits. Who would say it! virtue even has need of limits.

False happiness renders men stern and proud, and that happiness is never communicated. True happiness renders them kind and sensible, and that happiness is always shared.

For a country, everything will be lost when the jobs of an economist and a banker become highly respected professions.

Friendship is a contract in which we render small services in expectation of big ones.

Great commanders write their actions with simplicity; because they receive more glory from facts than from words.

Happy the people whose annals are tiresome.

Honor is unknown in despotic states.

Honor sets all the parts of the body politic in motion, and by its very action connects them; thus each individual advances the public good, while he only thinks of promoting his own interest.

I acknowledge that history is full of religious wars: but we must distinguish; it is not the multiplicity of religions which has produced these wars; it was the intolerating spirit which animated that one which thought she had the power of governing.

If I knew something that would serve my country but would harm mankind, I would never reveal it; for I am a citizen of humanity first and by necessity, and a citizen of France second, and only by accident

If one only wished to be happy, this could be easily accomplished; but we wish to be happier that other people, and this is always difficult, for we believe others to be happier than they are. you are comparing your lot with an ideal which is of course better and therefore you feel worse

If the triangles made a god, they would give him three sides.

If triangles had a god, he would have three sides.

If we only wanted to be happy, it would be easy; but we want to be happier than other people, and that is almost always difficult, since we think them happier than they are.

If you run after wit, you will succeed in catching folly.

If you would be holy, instruct your children, because all the good acts they perform will be imputed to you.

I have always observed that to succeed in the world one should seem a fool, but be wise.

I have ever held it as a maxim never to do that through another which it was impossible for me to execute myself