The Spirit of the Laws

The Spirit of the Laws (De l'esprit des lois) is a treatise on political theory and a pioneering work of comparative law by Montesquieu, published anonymously in 1748 after about ten years of work. It argues that political institutions, to succeed, must reflect the social and geographical aspects of the particular community, and pleads for a constitutional system of government with separation of powers, preservation of law and civil liberties. Thomas Nugent published an English translation in 1750, and in 1751 the Church placed it on its Index Librorum Prohibitorum. It influenced Catherine the Great, the Founding Fathers of the United States Constitution and Alexis de Tocqueville.