Among its influential arguments were the classification of governments as republics, monarchies, or despotisms; the theory of the separation of powers; and the political influence of climate.

One of his most important works ‘The Spirit of the Laws’ inspired the shaping of the U.S constitution and the English government. His theory on the ‘separation of powers’ has influenced the formulation of many constitutions across the world.

Montesquieu’s two most important works are the Persian Letters and The Spirit of the Laws. While these works share certain themes — most notably a fascination with non-European societies and a horror of despotism — they are quite different from one another, and will be treated separately.

Montesquieu is famous for his articulation of the theory of separation of powers, which is implemented in many constitutions throughout the world. He is also known for doing more than any other author to secure the place of the word “despotism” in the political lexicon.

Montesquieu concluded that the best form of government was one in which the legislative, executive, and judicial powers were separate and kept each other in check to prevent any branch from becoming too powerful. He believed that uniting these powers, as in the monarchy of Louis XIV, would lead to despotism.

Definitions of Montesquieu. noun. French political philosopher who advocated the separation of executive and legislative and judicial powers (1689-1755) synonyms: Baron de la Brede et de Montesquieu, Charles Louis de Secondat.

He was a French political thinker who lived during the Age Of Enlightenment. He is famous for his theory of the separation of powers in government. Many constitutions all over the world use it. He helped make the terms “feudalism” and “Byzantine Empire” popular.

Montesquieu defines political liberty as, a man being able to consider himself protected by governmental laws . Montesquieu believes that the greatest danger to liberty is, power being concentrated to anyone group or individual with the same agenda.

Under his model, the political authority of the state is divided into legislative, executive and judicial powers. He asserted that, to most effectively promote liberty, these three powers must be separate and acting independently.

Montesquieu was opposed to absolute monarchy and believed that a monarchy with limited powers makes countries the most stable and secure. People’s role in government, Montesquieu believed, should be based on political virtue (moral goodness) and equality.

Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu (18 January 1689 – 10 February 1755), was commonly known as Montesquieu. He was a French political thinker who lived during the Age Of Enlightenment. He is famous for his theory of the separation of powers in government.

In this treatise Montesquieu argued that political institutions needed, for their success, to reflect the social and geographical aspects of the particular community. He pleaded for a constitutional system of government with separation of powers, the preservation of legality and civil liberties, and the end of slavery.

Rousseau proclaimed the natural goodness of man and believed that one man by nature is just as good as any other. For Rousseau, a man could be just without virtue and good without effort. According to Rousseau, man in the state of nature was free, wise, and good and the laws of nature were benevolent.

Rousseau’s argument in the Discourse is that the only natural inequality among men is the inequality that results from differences in physical strength, for this is the only sort of inequality that exists in the state of nature.

These obligations are articulated in terms of natural rights, including rights to life, liberty and property. Rousseau was also influenced by the modern natural law tradition, which attempted to answer the challenge of skepticism through a systematic approach to human nature that, like Hobbes, emphasized self-interest.

Rousseau asserts that only the people, who are sovereign, have that all-powerful right. A 1750 treatise by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, which argued that the arts and sciences corrupt human morality.

The main idea of Rousseau’s famous work ‘Social Contract’ was each member would have one vote which would have one value each. This was one of the democratic principles put forward by philosophers like Rousseau in his book The Social Contract.