193 Quotes by Baron de Montesquieu

There are countries where a man is worth nothing; there are others where he is worth less than nothing.

Political liberty is to be found only in moderate governments.

Those who have few affairs to attend to are great speakers. The less men think, the more they talk.

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.

A really intelligent man feels what other men only know.

In the infancy of societies, the chiefs of state shape its institutions; later the institutions shape the chiefs of state.

In a republic there is no coercive force as in other governments, the laws must therefore endeavor to supply this defect.

Society is the union of men and not the men themselves.

It is necessary from the very nature of things that power should be a check to power.