Montesquieu's The Spirit of Laws is one of a handful of classic works of political philosophy deserving a fresh reading every generation. The product of immense erudition, Montesquieu's treatise has captured since its first printing (1748) the imagination of an impressive array of intellectuals including Rousseau, Voltaire, Beccaria, Madison, Hamilton, Jefferson, Herder, Siey_s, Condorcet, Robespierre, Bentham, Burke, Constant, Hegel, Tocqueville, Emile Durkheim, Raymond Aron, and Hannah Arendt. In what constitutes the only English-language collection of essays ever dedicated to the analysis of Montesquieu's contributions to political science, the contributors review some of the most vexing controversies that have arisen in the interpretation of Montesquieu's thought. By paying careful attention to the historical, political, and philosophical contexts of Montesquieu's ideas, the contributors provide fresh readings of The Spirit of Laws, clarify the goals and ambitions of its author, and point out the pertinence of his thinking to the problems of our world today.

David W. Carrithers is professor of government at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Michael A. Mosher is professor of political science at the University of Tulsa. Paul A. Rahe is professor of history at the University of Tulsa.

Chapter 1 Introduction: An Appreciation ofThe Spirit of LawsChapter 2 Montesquieu and Natural LawChapter 3 Forms of Government: Structure, Principle, Object, and AimChapter 4 Democratic and Aristocratic Republics: Ancient and ModernChapter 5 Monarchy's Paradox: Honor in the Face of Sovereign PowerChapter 6 Despotism in The Spirit of LawsChapter 7 Montesquieu and English LibertyChapter 8 Montesquieu and the Liberal Philosophy of JurisprudenceChapter 9 Montesquieu on Religion and on the Question of ToleranceChapter 10 Montequieu on Economics and CommerceChapter 11 Montesquieu and the History of Laws