Esprit des Lois: Par Montesquieu; Avec Notes de L'Auteur et un...
Montesquieu, Charles de Secondat, [1689-1755]. Esprit des Lois: Par Montesquieu; Avec Notes de L'Auteur et un Choix des Observations de Dupin, Crevier, Voltaire, Mably, La Harpe, Servan, etc. Paris: Firmin Didot, 1867. 600 pp. Frontispiece. Dark green quarter morocco over marbled boards with raised bands and gilt stamped label to spine. Marbled edges and endpapers. Moderate shelf wear. Corners bumped. Bookseller's ticket "F.W. Christern/ New York" to front pastedown. Internally clean. A good copy. $65. * First published anonymously in 1748, this edition is a French version that includes the author's own notes, as well as selected observations from other Enlightenment thinkers and commentators such as Dupin, Crevier, Voltaire, Mably, La Harpe, and Servan. The book is a comprehensive treatise on political theory, comparative law, and sociology. Its main ideas include: Separation of Powers: This is Montesquieu's most famous contribution, arguing that political power must be divided into three branches-legislative, executive, and judicial-to prevent the concentration of power and safeguard individual liberty. This concept was highly influential on the framers of the United States Constitution; Types of Government: Montesquieu identifies and analyzes three main types of government: republics (which rely on civic virtue), monarchies (driven by honor), and despotisms (sustained by fear); Influence of Context on Law: He argues that laws are not universally applicable but must reflect the unique "spirit" of a nation, including its social, cultural, and geographical circumstances, such as climate and terrain. The overall aim of the work is to explore how different legal and political systems can best promote and preserve political liberty within a society. The bookseller's ticket is that of the prominent New York bookseller Frederick W. Christern (1816-1891). When he died, Publishers' Weekly remarked that the "foreign book trade in the United States" had thereby lost "its oldest and perhaps most honoured member" (Vol. 39, May 2, 1891, p. 632).
Price: $65.00
Book number 82982