18th Century French Philosophy, General & Miscellaneous Political Theory, Political Philosophy, Political Theorists

Montesquieu and His Legacy

Name: Montesquieu and His Legacy
Author: Rebecca E. Kingston
ISBN: 9780791476222

by Rebecca E. Kingston

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Overview

Montesquieu (1689-1755) is regarded as one of the most important thinkers of the Enlightenment. His Lettres persanes and L'Esprit des lois have been read by students and scholars throughout the last two centuries. While many have associated Montesquieu with the doctrine of the "separation of powers" in the history of ideas, Rebecca E. Kingston brings together leading international scholars who for the first time present a systematic treatment and discussion of the significance of his ideas more generally for the development of Western political theory and institutions. In particular, Montesquieu and His Legacy supplements the conventional focus on the institutional teachings of Montesquieu with attention to the theme of morals and manners. The contributors provide commentary on the broad legacy of Montesquieu's thought in past times as well as for the contemporary era.

"Rebecca Kingston brings together an important and diverse group of voices, representing a variety of disciplines and orientations on arguably the most important French political thinker in the first half of the eighteenth century. This book brings intellectual history and political theory together, and it is focused on the 'informal aspects of political community' in Montesquieu's thought. Intellectual historians have long been writing about sentiment, manners, and moeurs in eighteenth-century European thought, but this book does a marvelous job connecting this important strand in Montesquieu's thought with a more complicated liberal legacy he helped to inspire." - Fonna Forman-Barzilai, University of California at San Diego

Contributors include David W. Carrithers, Cecil Patrick Courtney, Fred Dallmayr,Jean Ehrard, Ran Hirschl, Rebecca E. Kingston, Catherine Larrère, Jacob T. Levy, James Moore, Michael Mosher, Stephen L. Newman, Clifford Orwin, Brian C. V. Singer, Céline Spector, Ronald F. Thiemann, and Catherine Volpilhac-Auger.

Synopsis

Montesquieu (1689–1755) is regarded as one of the most important thinkers of the Enlightenment. His Lettres persanes and L’Esprit des lois have been read by students and scholars throughout the last two centuries. While many have associated Montesquieu with the doctrine of the “separation of powers” in the history of ideas, Rebecca E. Kingston brings together leading international scholars who for the first time present a systematic treatment and discussion of the significance of his ideas more generally for the development of Western political theory and institutions. In particular, Montesquieu and His Legacy supplements the conventional focus on the institutional teachings of Montesquieu with attention to the theme of morals and manners. The contributors provide commentary on the broad legacy of Montesquieu’s thought in past times as well as for the contemporary era.