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The Spirit of the Laws

  
[title page]
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The Translator to the Reader
  
CONTENTS
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PREFACE
  
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Book I. Of Laws in General.
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Book II. Of Laws Directly Derived from the Nature of Government.
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Book III. Of the Principles of the Three Kinds of Government.
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Book IV. That the Laws of Education Ought to Be in Relation to the Principles of Government.
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Book V. That the Laws Given by the Legislator Ought to Be in Relation to the Principle of Government.
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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.
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Book VII. Consequences of the Different Principles of the Three Governments with Respect to Sumptuary Laws, Luxury, and the Condition of Women.
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Book VIII. Of the Corruption of the Principles of the Three Governments.
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Book IX., Of Laws in the Relation They Bear to a Defensive Force.
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Book X. Of Laws in the Relation They Bear to Offensive Force.
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Book XI. Of the Laws Which Establish Political Liberty, with Regard to the Consti- tution.
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Book XII. Of the Laws That Form Political Liberty, in Relation to the Subject.
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Book XIII. Of the Relation Which the Levying of Taxes and the Greatness of the Public Revenues Bear to Liberty.
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Book XIV. Of Laws in Relation to the Nature of the Climate.
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Book XV. In What Manner the Laws of Civil Slavery Relate to the Nature of the Climate.
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Book XVI. How the Laws of Domestic Slavery Bear a Relation to the Nature of the Climate.
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Book XVII., How the Laws of Political Servitude Bear a Relation to the Nature of the Climate.
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Book XVIII. Of Laws in the Relation They Bear to the Nature of the Soil.
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Book XIX. Of Laws in Relation to the Principles Which Form the General Spirit, Morals, and Customs of a Nation.
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1. Of the Subject of this Book.
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2. That it is necessary People's Minds should be prepared for the Reception of the best Laws.
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3. Of Tyranny.
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4. Of the general Spirit of Mankind.
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5. How far we should be attentive lest the general Spirit of a Nation be changed.
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6. That Everything ought not to be corrected.
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7. Of the Athenians and Lacedmonians.
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8. Effects of a sociable Temper.
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9. Of the Vanity and Pride of Nations. Vanity is as advantageous to a government as pride is dangerous.
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10. Of the Character of the Spaniards and Chinese.
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11. A Reflection.
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12. Of Customs and Manners in a despotic State.
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13. Of the Behaviour of the Chinese.
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14. What are the natural Means of changing the Manners and Customs of a Nation.
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15. The Influence of domestic Government on the political.
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16. How some Legislators have confounded the Principles which govern Mankind.
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17. Of the peculiar Quality of the Chinese Government.
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18. A Consequence drawn from the preceding Chapter.
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19. How this Union of Religion, Laws, Manners, and Customs among the Chinese was effected.
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20. Explanation of a Paradox relating to the Chinese.
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21. How the Laws ought to have a Relation to Manners and Customs.
  
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Footnotes
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22. The same Subject continued.
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23. How the Laws are founded on the Manners of a People.
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24. The same Subject continued.
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25. The same Subject continued.
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26. The same Subject continued.
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27. How the Laws contribute to form the Manners, Customs, and Character of a Nation.
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Book XX. Of Laws in Relation to Commerce, Considered in its Nature and Distinctions.
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Book XXI. Of Laws in relation to Commerce, considered in the Revolutions it has met with in the World.
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Book XXII. Of Laws in Relation to the Use of Money.
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Book XXIII. Of Laws in the Relation They Bear to the Number of Inhabitants.
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Book XXIV. Of Laws in relation to Religion Considered in Itself, and in its Doctrines.
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Book XXV. Of Laws in Relation to the Establishment of Religion and its External Polity.
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Book XXVI. Of Laws in Relation to the Order of Things Which They Determine.
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Book XXVII. Of the Origin and Revolutions of the Roman Laws on Successions.
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Book XXVIII. Of the Origin and Revolutions of the Civil Laws among the French.
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Book XXIX. Of the Manner of Composing Laws.
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Book XXX. Theory of the Feudal Laws among the Franks in the Relation They Bear to the Establishment of the Monarchy.
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Book XXXI. Theory of the Feudal Laws among the Franks, in the Relation They Bear to the Revolutions of their Monarchy.

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19.21. 21. How the Laws ought to have a Relation to Manners and Customs.

It is only singular institutions which thus confound laws, manners, and customs — things naturally distinct and separate; but though they are in themselves different, there is nevertheless a great relation between them.

Solon being asked if the laws he had given to the Athenians were the best, he replied, "I have given them the best they were able to bear" [24] -- a fine expression, that ought to be perfectly understood by all legislators! When Divine Wisdom said to the Jews, "I have given you precepts which are not good," this signified that they had only a relative goodness; which is the sponge that wipes out all the difficulties in the law of Moses.

Footnotes

[24]

Plutarch, "Life of Solon."

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