Baron de Montesquieu

Definition

Baron de Montesquieu was an 18th-century French philosopher best known for promoting separation of powers in government to prevent any one entity from gaining absolute control.

Analogy

Imagine your school's student council. Instead of having one person make all decisions (like what events to hold or how funds should be spent), responsibilities are divided among different roles - president, vice-president, treasurer etc. This way no single person has all the power; this is similar to Montesquieu's idea of separating powers in government.

Related terms

Enlightenment Era: The period in European history when great advancements were made in scientific thought and political theory, including Montesquieu's ideas about separation of powers.

Separation of Powers: The division of governmental responsibilities into distinct branches (legislative, executive, judicial) to limit any one branch from exercising core functions of another.

Constitutional Monarchy: A form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, embodying Montesquieu's ideas about limiting power.