black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

Countries are well cultivated, not as they are fertile, but as they are free.

Baron de Montesquieu

In constitutional states, liberty is compensation for heavy taxes; in dictatorships, the subsititue is light taxes.
BARON DE MONTESQUIEU

Liberty Light States
The state of slavery is in its own nature bad.
BARON DE MONTESQUIEU

Bad Nature Slavery States
If triangles had a god, he would have three sides.
BARON DE MONTESQUIEU

God Three Triangles
The majority of men are more capable of great actions than of good ones.
BARON DE MONTESQUIEU

Deed Majority Men
They who assert that a blind fatality produced the various effects we behold in this world talk very absurdly; for can anything be more unreasonable than to pretend that a blind fatality could be productive of intelligent beings.
BARON DE MONTESQUIEU

Blind Intelligent World
Virtue in a republic is the love of one’s country, that is the love of equality.
BARON DE MONTESQUIEU

Country Republic Virtue
Luxury ruins republics; poverty, monarchies.
BARON DE MONTESQUIEU

Luxury Republic Tyrants
To succeed in the world we must look foolish but be wise.
BARON DE MONTESQUIEU

Looks Success Wise
Political liberty is to be found only in moderate governments.
BARON DE MONTESQUIEU

Government Liberty Political
Peace is a natural effect of trade.
BARON DE MONTESQUIEU

Natural Philosophical Trade
What cowardice it is to be dismayed by the happiness of others and devastated by there good fortune.
BARON DE MONTESQUIEU

Cowardice Envy Fortune
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 Government Wisdom
Passion makes us feel, but never see clearly.
BARON DE MONTESQUIEU

Cleanly Feel Passion
Power ought to serve as a check to power.
BARON DE MONTESQUIEU

Checks Ought Power
Knowledge humanizes mankind, and reason inclines to mildness; but prejudices eradicate every tender disposition.
BARON DE MONTESQUIEU

Disposition Prejudice Reason
What unhappy beings men are! They constantly waver between false hopes and silly fears, and instead of relying on reason they create monsters to frighten themselves with, and phantoms which lead them astray.
BARON DE MONTESQUIEU

Fear Men Silly

Countries are well cultivated, not as they are fertile, but as they are free.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

Countries are well cultivated, not as they are fertile, but as they are free.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Baron de Montesquieu Quotes