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The Spirit of the Laws

  
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The Translator to the Reader
  
CONTENTS
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PREFACE
  
ADVERTISEMENT

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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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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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1. Of Men and Animals with respect to the Multiplication of their Species.
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2. Of Marriage.
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3. Of the Condition of Children.
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4. Of Families.
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5. Of the several Orders of lawful Wives.
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6. Of Bastards in different Governments.
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7. Of the Father's Consent to Marriage.
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8. The same Subject continued.
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9. Of young Women.
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10. What it is that determines Marriage.
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11. Of the Severity of Government.
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12. Of the Number of Males and Females in different Countries.
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13. Of Seaport Towns.
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14. Of the Productions of the Earth which require a greater or less Number of Men.
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15. Of the Number of Inhabitants with relation to the Arts.
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16. The Concern of the Legislator in the Propagation of the Species.
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17. Of Greece and the Number of its Inhabitants.
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18. Of the State and Number of People before the Romans.
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19. Of the Depopulation of the Globe.
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20. That the Romans were under the Necessity of making Laws to encourage the Propagation of the Species.
  
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Footnotes
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21. Of the Laws of the Romans relating to the Propagation of the Species.
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22. Of the Exposing of Children.
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23. Of the State of the World after the Destruction of the Romans.
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24. The Changes which happened in Europe with regard to the Number of the Inhabitants.
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25. The same Subject continued.
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26. Consequences.
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27. Of the Law made in France to encourage the Propagation of the Species.
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28. By what means we may remedy a Depopulation.
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29. Of Hospitals.
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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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previous section21. How the Laws ought to have a Relation to Manners and Customs. The Spirit of the Laws
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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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