Montesquieu's The Spirit of Laws is an enduring classic of social and political theory deserving a fresh reading every generation. The modern reader, however, is likely to find a work that ran to over a thousand pages in its two-volume first edition a bit overwhelming. Presented here, therefore, is the first English-language compendium of The Spirit of Laws, together with the first English translation of the posthumously published treatise containing the physiological theory underlying Montesquieu's theory of climate.

Preface
Note on the Text
Chronological Table of Major Events in Montesquieu's Life
Abbreivations
Introduction

The Spirit of Laws

An Essay on Causes Affecting Minds and Characters

Appendices

"Montesquieu studies have flourished for some time, and David Wallace Carrithers' work is a noteworthy addition to such investigations. . . . Carrithers has been painstaking in his textual scholarship. . . . This book is the result of meticulous research and careful reflection.—American Historical Review

"This compendium accomplishes what not other English-language edition has done to date. We have the most important passages from Montesquieu in Nugent's rendering, with synopses and explanatory introductions to each section provided by the editor, as well as the scholarly tools necessary to trace those textual modifications Montesquieu had in mind to use in a second edition of De l'esprit des lois. . . . Professor Carrithers should be commended for a well-wrought work of general interest that is also useful as a scholarly tool."—French Review

"The introduction is balanced, being remarkably free from the influence of the various modish interpretations of Montesquieu which have been current in recent years, and yet based on a sound knowledge of recent scholarship."—French Studies