Baron de Montesquieu Quotes - Page 2

...when the laws have ceased to be executed, as this can only come from the corruption of the republic, the state is already lost.

They who love to inform themselves, are never idle. Though I have no business of consequence to take care of, I am nevertheless continually employed. I spend my life in examining things: I write down in the evening whatever I have remarked, what I have seen, and what I have heard in the day: every thing engages my attention, and every thing excites my wonder: I am like an infant, whose organs, as yet tender, are strongly affected by the slightest objects.

When a government lasts a long while, it deteriorates by insensible degrees. Republics end through luxury, monarchies through poverty.

I should like to abolish funerals; the time to mourn a person is at his birth, not his death.

For a country, everything will be lost when the jobs of an economist and a banker become highly respected professions.

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

The life of man is but a succession of vain hopes and groundless fears.

Love of reading enables a man to exchange the weary hours, which come to every one, for hours of delight.

Wonderful maxim: not to talk of things any more after they are done.

When a government is arrived to that degree of corruption as to be incapable of reforming itself, it would not lose much by being new moulded.

If I knew something that would serve my country but would harm mankind, I would never reveal it; for I am a citizen of humanity first and by necessity, and a citizen of France second, and only by accident

Liberty... is there only when there is no abuse of power.

An empire founded by war has to maintain itself by war.

It is not the young people that degenerate; they are not spoiled till those of mature age are already sunk into corruption.

What orators lack in depth they make up for in length.

A nation may lose its liberties in a day and not miss them in a century.

Passion makes us feel, but never see clearly.

There are only two cases in which war is just: first, in order to resist the aggression of an enemy, and second, in order to help an ally who has been attacked.

Liberty is the right to do what the law permits.

Power should be a check on power.

A really intelligent man feels what other men only know.

It is rare to find learned men who are clean, do not stink and have a sense of humour.

It is always the adventurous who accomplish great things.

Brutes are deprived of the high advantages which we have; but they have some which we have not. They have not our hopes, but theyare without our fears; they are subject like us to death, but without knowing it; even most of them are more attentive than we to self-preservation, and do not make so bad a use of their passions.

The alms given to a naked man in the street do not fulfil the obligations of the state, which owes to every citizen a certain subsistence, a proper nourishment, convenient clothing, and a kind of life not incompatible with health.