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

Baron de Montesquieu

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Baron de Montesquieu
Birth
Death
Men
Philosophical

More quotes by Baron de Montesquieu

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Men, who are rogues individually, are in the mass very honorable people.
Baron de Montesquieu
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An injustice committed against anyone is a threat to everyone.
Baron de Montesquieu
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Men in excess of happiness or misery are equally inclined to severity. Witness conquerors and monks! It is mediocrity alone, and a mixture of prosperous and adverse fortune that inspire us with lenity and pity.
Baron de Montesquieu
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When the [law making] and [law enforcement] powers are united in the same person... there can be no liberty.
Baron de Montesquieu
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Political liberty in a citizen is that tranquillity of spirit which comes from the opinion each one has of his security, and in order for him to have this liberty the government must be such that one citizen cannot fear another citizen.
Baron de Montesquieu
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Society is the union of men and not the men themselves.
Baron de Montesquieu
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Democracy has two excesses to avoid: the spirit of inequality, which leads to an aristocracy, or to the government of a single individual and the spirit of extreme equality, which conducts it to despotism, as the despotism of a single individual finishes by conquest.
Baron de Montesquieu
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Wonderful maxim: not to talk of things any more after they are done.
Baron de Montesquieu
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There is a very good saying that if triangles invented a god, they would make him three-sided.
Baron de Montesquieu
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Politics are a smooth file, which cuts gradually, and attains its end by slow progression.
Baron de Montesquieu
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Law should be like death, which spares no one.
Baron de Montesquieu
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An author is a fool who, not content with boring those he lives with, insists on boring future generations.
Baron de Montesquieu
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I have read descriptions of Paradise that would make any sensible person stop wanting to go there.
Baron de Montesquieu
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The false notion of miracles comes of our vanity, which makes us believe we are important enough for the Supreme Being to upset nature on our behalf.
Baron de Montesquieu
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To love to read is to exchange hours of ennui for hours of delight.
Baron de Montesquieu
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Sometimes a man who deserves to be looked upon because he is a fool is despised only because he is a lawyer.
Baron de Montesquieu
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Laws undertake to punish only overt acts.
Baron de Montesquieu
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A rational army would run away.
Baron de Montesquieu
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As virtue is necessary in a republic, and honor in a monarchy, fear is what is required in a despotism. As for virtue, it is not at all necessary, and honor would be dangerous there.
Baron de Montesquieu
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Political liberty is to be found only in moderate governments.
Baron de Montesquieu