Baron de Montesquieu

Definition

Baron de Montesquieu was a French lawyer and philosopher during the Age of Enlightenment who is best known for his works on separation of powers within government systems.

Analogy

Consider Montesquieu as your school's principal who believes each teacher should have control over their own classroom (separation of powers), rather than one teacher controlling all classrooms.

Related terms

Enlightenment Era: A period in history when philosophical thoughts centered around reason as primary source of authority and legitimacy, paving way for ideas like separation of powers.

Voltaire: A French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher famous for his wit and advocacy for freedom of speech and religion.

Separation Of Powers: The division of governmental responsibilities into distinct branches to limit any one branch from exercising core functions of another.