When the savages of Louisiana wish to have fruit, they cut the tree at the bottom and gather the fruit. That is exactly a despotic government. Baron de Montesquieu More Quotes by Baron de Montesquieu More Quotes From Baron de Montesquieu When the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person, or in the same body of magistrates, there can be no liberty; because apprehensions may arise, lest the same monarch or senate should enact tyrannical laws, to execute them in a tyrannical manner. Baron de Montesquieu umpireslibertylaw It is necessary from the very nature of things that power should be a check to power. Baron de Montesquieu checksshould To become truly great, one has to stand with people, not above them. Baron de Montesquieu funny-inspirationalleadershipintegrity The deterioration of every government begins with the decay of the principles on which it was founded. Baron de Montesquieu honestyintegritywar We receive three educations, one from our parents, one from our school-masters, and one from the world. The third contradicts all that the first two teach us. Baron de Montesquieu educationtwoschool There is no crueler tyranny than that which is perpetuated under the shield of law and in the name of justice. Baron de Montesquieu tyrantslawnames Every man who has power is impelled to abuse it. Baron de Montesquieu abuseevilmen In the state of nature... all men are born equal, but they cannot continue in this equality. Society makes them lose it, and they recover it only by the protection of the law. Baron de Montesquieu equalitylawmen Law should be like death, which spares no one. Baron de Montesquieu sparesshouldlaw That anyone who possesses power has a tendency to abuse it is an eternal truth. They tend to go as far as the barriers will allow. Baron de Montesquieu tendenciesabusepeace 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. Baron de Montesquieu democracies-havegovernmentwisdom The life of man is but a succession of vain hopes and groundless fears. Baron de Montesquieu successionvainmen 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. Baron de Montesquieu would-bepeoplethinking Useless laws weaken the necessary laws. Baron de Montesquieu philosophicallibertylaw Liberty... is there only when there is no abuse of power. Baron de Montesquieu abuse-of-powerabuseliberty No tyranny is more cruel than the one practised in the shadow of the laws and under color of justice - when, so to speak, one proceeds to drown the unfortunate on the very plank by which they had saved themselves. And since a tyrant never lacks instruments for his tyranny, Tiberius always found judges ready to condemn as many people as he might suspect. Baron de Montesquieu tyrantscolorlaw Religious wars are not caused by the fact that there is more than one religion, but by the spirit of intolerance... the spread of which can only be regarded as the total eclipse of human reason. Baron de Montesquieu religiouswarreligion Knowledge humanizes mankind, and reason inclines to mildness; but prejudices eradicate every tender disposition. Baron de Montesquieu dispositionprejudicereason Power should be a check on power. Baron de Montesquieu good-and-evilchecksevil Not to be loved is a misfortune, but it is an insult to be loved no longer. Baron de Montesquieu comebackinsultsexuality
