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.
expand section8. 
Book VIII. Of the Corruption of the Principles of the Three Governments.
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.
collapse section19. 
Book XIX. Of Laws in Relation to the Principles Which Form the General Spirit, Morals, and Customs of a Nation.
 19.2. 
1. Of the Subject of this Book.
expand section19.2. 
2. That it is necessary People's Minds should be prepared for the Reception of the best Laws.
expand section19.3. 
3. Of Tyranny.
 19.4. 
4. Of the general Spirit of Mankind.
 19.5. 
5. How far we should be attentive lest the general Spirit of a Nation be changed.
 19.6. 
6. That Everything ought not to be corrected.
 19.7. 
7. Of the Athenians and Lacedmonians.
expand section19.8. 
8. Effects of a sociable Temper.
expand section19.9. 
9. Of the Vanity and Pride of Nations. Vanity is as advantageous to a government as pride is dangerous.
expand section19.10. 
10. Of the Character of the Spaniards and Chinese.
 19.11. 
11. A Reflection.
 19.12. 
12. Of Customs and Manners in a despotic State.
expand section19.13. 
13. Of the Behaviour of the Chinese.
 19.14. 
14. What are the natural Means of changing the Manners and Customs of a Nation.
 19.15. 
15. The Influence of domestic Government on the political.
expand section19.16. 
16. How some Legislators have confounded the Principles which govern Mankind.
expand section19.17. 
17. Of the peculiar Quality of the Chinese Government.
expand section19.18. 
18. A Consequence drawn from the preceding Chapter.
 19.19. 
19. How this Union of Religion, Laws, Manners, and Customs among the Chinese was effected.
expand section19.20. 
20. Explanation of a Paradox relating to the Chinese.
expand section19.21. 
21. How the Laws ought to have a Relation to Manners and Customs.
expand section19.22. 
22. The same Subject continued.
expand section19.23. 
23. How the Laws are founded on the Manners of a People.
expand section19.24. 
24. The same Subject continued.
expand section19.25. 
25. The same Subject continued.
expand section19.26. 
26. The same Subject continued.
expand section19.27. 
27. How the Laws contribute to form the Manners, Customs, and Character 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 section4. Of the general Spirit of Mankind. The Spirit of the Laws
next section

19.4. 4. Of the general Spirit of Mankind.

Mankind are influenced by various causes: by the climate, by the religion, by the laws, by the maxims of government, by precedents, morals, and customs; whence is formed a general spirit of nations.

In proportion as, in every country, any one of these causes acts with more force, the others in the same degree are weakened. Nature and the climate rule almost alone over the savages; customs govern the Chinese; the laws tyrannise in Japan; morals had formerly all their influence at Sparta; maxims of government, and the ancient simplicity of manners, once prevailed at Rome.

previous section4. Of the general Spirit of Mankind. The Spirit of the Laws
next section