Baron de la Brede et de Montesquieu
France
18 Jan 1689 // 10 Feb 1755
Political Philosopher
18 Jan 1689 // 10 Feb 1755
Political Philosopher
Quotes
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Not to be loved is a misfortune, but it is an insult to be loved no longer
Do you think that God will punish them for not practicing a religion which he did not reveal to them?
A man should be mourned at his birth, not at his death
Oh, how empty is praise when it reflects back to its origin!
Life was given to me as a favor, so I may abandon it when it is one no longer
Religious wars are not caused by the fact that there is more than one religion, but by the spirit of intolerance...the spread of which can only be regarded as the total eclipse of human reason
There is only one thing that can form a bond between men, and that is gratitude...we cannot give someone else greater power over us than we have ourselves
Constant experience shows us that every man invested with power is apt to abuse it, and to carry his authority as far as it will go
You have to study a great deal to know a little
There is no greater tyranny than that which is perpetrated under the shield of the law and in the name of justice
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On Anger: "For every minute you remain angry, you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind."
Essays
Essays
On Destiny: "Our destiny exercises its influence over us even when, as yet, we have not learned its nature: it is our future that lays down the law of our today."
Human, All Too Human
Human, All Too Human
On Friendship: "A crowd is not company; and faces are but a gallery of pictures; and talk but a tinkling cymbal, where there is no love."
Essays
Essays