Montesquieu
Montesquieu, original name Charles-Louis de Secondat (1689-1755). French political philosopher. He inherited large estates in 1713 and the title Baron de Montesquieu in 1716. For a time he led a dissipated life in Parisian salons and court circles. The satirical Persian Letters (1721) brought him fame as a writer but his writing became more serious after a stay in England (1729-31). The Spirit of Laws (1748), an examination of the principles of government, is his major work.
