University of Virginia Library

Search this document 
The Spirit of the Laws

  
[title page]
expand section 
The Translator to the Reader
  
CONTENTS
expand section 
PREFACE
  
ADVERTISEMENT

expand section1. 
Book I. Of Laws in General.
expand section2. 
Book II. Of Laws Directly Derived from the Nature of Government.
expand section3. 
Book III. Of the Principles of the Three Kinds of Government.
expand section4. 
Book IV. That the Laws of Education Ought to Be in Relation to the Principles of Government.
expand section5. 
Book V. That the Laws Given by the Legislator Ought to Be in Relation to the Principle of Government.
expand section6. 
Book VI. Consequences of the Principles of Different Governments with Respect to the Simplicity of Civil and Criminal Laws, the Form of Judgments, and the Inflicting of Punishments.
expand section7. 
Book VII. Consequences of the Different Principles of the Three Governments with Respect to Sumptuary Laws, Luxury, and the Condition of Women.
collapse section8. 
Book VIII. Of the Corruption of the Principles of the Three Governments.
 8.1. 
1. General Idea of this Book.
expand section8.2. 
2. Of the Corruption of the Principles of Democracy.
 8.3. 
3. Of the Spirit of extreme Equality.
expand section8.4. 
4. Particular Cause of the Corruption of the People.
expand section8.5. 
5. Of the Corruption of the Principle of Aristocracy.
expand section8.6. 
6. Of the Corruption of the Principle of Monarchy.
expand section8.7. 
7. The same Subject continued.
 8.8. 
8. Danger of the Corruption of the Principle of monarchical Government.
 8.9. 
9. How ready the Nobility are to defend the Throne.
 8.10. 
10. Of the Corruption of the Principle of despotic Government.
expand section8.11. 
11. Natural Effects of the Goodness and Corruption of the Principles of Government.
 7.12. 
12. The same Subject continued.
expand section8.13. 
13. The Effect of an Oath among virtuous People.
expand section8.14. 
14. How the smallest Change of the Constitution is attended with the Ruin of its Principles.
 8.15. 
15. Sure Methods of preserving the three Principles.
expand section8.16. 
16. Distinctive Properties of a Republic.
 8.17. 
17. Distinctive Properties of a Monarchy.
expand section8.18. 
18. Particular Case of the Spanish Monarchy.
 8.19. 
19. Distinctive Properties of a despotic Government.
 8.20. 
20. Consequence of the preceding Chapters.
expand section8.21. 
21. Of the Empire of China.
expand section9. 
Book IX., Of Laws in the Relation They Bear to a Defensive Force.
expand section10. 
Book X. Of Laws in the Relation They Bear to Offensive Force.
expand section11. 
Book XI. Of the Laws Which Establish Political Liberty, with Regard to the Consti- tution.
expand section12. 
Book XII. Of the Laws That Form Political Liberty, in Relation to the Subject.
expand section13. 
Book XIII. Of the Relation Which the Levying of Taxes and the Greatness of the Public Revenues Bear to Liberty.
expand section14. 
Book XIV. Of Laws in Relation to the Nature of the Climate.
expand section15. 
Book XV. In What Manner the Laws of Civil Slavery Relate to the Nature of the Climate.
expand section16. 
Book XVI. How the Laws of Domestic Slavery Bear a Relation to the Nature of the Climate.
expand section17. 
Book XVII., How the Laws of Political Servitude Bear a Relation to the Nature of the Climate.
expand section18. 
Book XVIII. Of Laws in the Relation They Bear to the Nature of the Soil.
expand section19. 
Book XIX. Of Laws in Relation to the Principles Which Form the General Spirit, Morals, and Customs of a Nation.
expand section20. 
Book XX. Of Laws in Relation to Commerce, Considered in its Nature and Distinctions.
expand section21. 
Book XXI. Of Laws in relation to Commerce, considered in the Revolutions it has met with in the World.
expand section22. 
Book XXII. Of Laws in Relation to the Use of Money.
expand section23. 
Book XXIII. Of Laws in the Relation They Bear to the Number of Inhabitants.
expand section24. 
Book XXIV. Of Laws in relation to Religion Considered in Itself, and in its Doctrines.
expand section25. 
Book XXV. Of Laws in Relation to the Establishment of Religion and its External Polity.
expand section26. 
Book XXVI. Of Laws in Relation to the Order of Things Which They Determine.
expand section27. 
Book XXVII. Of the Origin and Revolutions of the Roman Laws on Successions.
expand section28. 
Book XXVIII. Of the Origin and Revolutions of the Civil Laws among the French.
expand section29. 
Book XXIX. Of the Manner of Composing Laws.
expand section30. 
Book XXX. Theory of the Feudal Laws among the Franks in the Relation They Bear to the Establishment of the Monarchy.
expand section31. 
Book XXXI. Theory of the Feudal Laws among the Franks, in the Relation They Bear to the Revolutions of their Monarchy.

collapse section Collapse All | Expand All expand section
previous section2. Of the Principle of different Governments. The Spirit of the Laws
next section

3.2. 2. Of the Principle of different Governments.

I have already observed that it is the nature of a republican government that either the collective body of the people, or particular families, should be possessed of the supreme power; of a monarchy, that the prince should have this power, but in the execution of it should be directed by established laws; of a despotic government, that a single person should rule according to his own will and caprice. This enables me to discover their three principles; which are thence naturally derived. I shall begin with a republican government, and in particular with that of democracy.

previous section2. Of the Principle of different Governments. The Spirit of the Laws
next section