Charles de Montesquieu Quotes

There is no crueler tyranny than that which is perpetuated under the shield of law and in the name of justice.
Charles de Montesquieu

Justice, Law, Name

I have never known any distress that an hour's reading did not relieve.
Charles de Montesquieu

Fear, Reading, Known

The tyranny of a prince in an oligarchy is not so dangerous to the public welfare as the apathy of a citizen in a democracy.
Charles de Montesquieu

Democracy, Dangerous, Public

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To become truly great, one has to stand with people, not above them.
Charles de Montesquieu

Great, Become, Stand

If we only wanted to be happy, it would be easy; but we want to be happier than other people, and that is almost always difficult, since we think them happier than they are.
Charles de Montesquieu

Happy, Difficult, Wanted

It is not the young people that degenerate; they are not spoiled till those of mature age are already sunk into corruption.
Charles de Montesquieu

Age, Corruption, Young

False happiness renders men stern and proud, and that happiness is never communicated. True happiness renders them kind and sensible, and that happiness is always shared.
Charles de Montesquieu

Happiness, Men, True

I have always observed that to succeed in the world one should seem a fool, but be wise.
Charles de Montesquieu

Wise, Fool, Succeed

The less men think, the more they talk.
Charles de Montesquieu

Men, Talk, Less

Useless laws weaken the necessary laws.
Charles de Montesquieu

Necessary, Useless, Laws

An author is a fool who, not content with boring those he lives with, insists on boring future generations.
Charles de Montesquieu

Future, Fool, Boring

An empire founded by war has to maintain itself by war.
Charles de Montesquieu

War, Empire, Founded

In most things success depends on knowing how long it takes to succeed.
Charles de Montesquieu

Success, Long, Succeed

In the infancy of societies, the chiefs of state shape its institutions; later the institutions shape the chiefs of state.
Charles de Montesquieu

State, Later, Societies

Liberty is the right to do what the law permits.
Charles de Montesquieu

Law, Liberty, Permits

Luxury ruins republics; poverty, monarchies.
Charles de Montesquieu

Poverty, Luxury, Ruins

If the triangles made a god, they would give him three sides.
Charles de Montesquieu

No kingdom has shed more blood than the kingdom of Christ.
Charles de Montesquieu

Blood, Christ, Kingdom

The sublimity of administration consists in knowing the proper degree of power that should be exerted on different occasions.
Charles de Montesquieu

Power, Different, Knowing

Friendship is an arrangement by which we undertake to exchange small favors for big ones.
Charles de Montesquieu

Friendship, Small, Big

Men should be bewailed at their birth, and not at their death.
Charles de Montesquieu

Men, Death, Birth

The reason the Romans built their great paved highways was because they had such inconvenient footwear.
Charles de Montesquieu

Great, Reason, Romans

There is no one, says another, whom fortune does not visit once in his life; but when she does not find him ready to receive her, she walks in at the door, and flies out at the window.
Charles de Montesquieu

Life, Him, Find

To love to read is to exchange hours of ennui for hours of delight.
Charles de Montesquieu

Love, Read, Hours

Countries are well cultivated, not as they are fertile, but as they are free.
Charles de Montesquieu

Free, Countries, Cultivated

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Biography

Nationality: French

Type: Philosopher

Born: January 18, 1689

Died: February 10, 1755

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Cite this Page: Citation

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