Question

What was the role of Montesquieu in the French Revolution?

Answer 1

Hint: Montesquieu was an Enlightenment-era French political scientist whose formulation of the principle of division of powers is still used in many constitutions around the world.
During the Age of Enlightenment, Baron de Montesquieu was a French political analyst. He is most well-known for his views on power separation.

Complete answer:
The feudalistic foundations of French society were attacked in Montesquieu's writings. He, like Locke and Thomas Jefferson, believed that everyone was created equal. If the King did not have the right to rule then the people had the right to revolt which they did. Montesquieu's writings sparked the French Revolution by instilling a desire for liberty.

- Montesquieu's writings sparked the French Revolution by instilling a desire for liberty.
- Before the French Revolution, Montesquieu existed. He was a nobleman who acted as a member of a local French legislature to shield citizens from the French King's abuses.
- The impact of his writings even after his death was more significant than his actual work during his lifetime. His job, The Spirit of the Laws, was influential in instilling a desire for liberty and sparked the French Revolution.
- The feudalistic foundations of French society were criticized in Montesquieu's writings. He, like Locke and Thomas Jefferson, believed that everyone was created equal. This ideal obliterated the concept of a king's divine right to rule. If the King lacked the authority to rule, the people were free to revolt, which they did.
- Regrettably, the French revolution did not adopt Montesquieu's ideas on power separation. The American Revolution was able to create a stable democracy by embracing the principles of separation of powers. The French Revolution devolved into despotism and dictatorship.


Note: When he published the Persian Letters in 1721, Montesquieu became famous. The church, as well as affluent French lifestyles and liberties, were criticized in these letters. Montesquieu wrote a book called On the Spirit of Laws, in which he summarized his ideas about how government could function.

Montesquieu came to the conclusion that the best form of government was one in which the legislative, executive, and judicial branches were all separate and kept each other in check to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful. He claimed that bringing these forces together, as in Louis XIV's monarchy, would lead to despotism.